Warsh raises stakes for Fed's next meeting, and other takeaways from Jackson Hole conference

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh delivered a speech at the Fed's annual Jackson Hole economic conference that has raised the stakes for the central bank's next meeting. According to the Associated Press, Warsh renewed his inflation-fighting credentials and opened the door to potential rate hikes in the coming months. His comments have put more pressure on the central bank to increase interest rates when it next meets in mid-September if inflation doesn’t improve.

The government’s next price report, to be released just days before the meeting, could play an outsize role in determining whether the central bank acts. Warsh’s speech was mostly praised by economists and other Fed policymakers in attendance, although there was also some pushback and criticism. Some analysts saw strong hints that a rate increase in September is a real possibility. According to Yahoo Finance, market odds for a September rate hike surged to 60%, up from 35% the previous day, after Warsh's speech.

Harvard professor and former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, Ken Rogoff, said Warsh made it clear that if the inflation data doesn’t improve, he’s going to hike interest rates. Rogoff predicts that if the Fed raises rates at its September policy meeting, the central bank will face fierce backlash from President Trump. The Economic Times reported that Warsh's comments have also had an impact on the crypto market, with Bitcoin falling below the $78,000 mark on Saturday.

Brief written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour, Associated Press, Yahoo Finance, Winnipeg Free Press, The Economic Times - Top News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.