Economics
Top Fed Officials Pledge Patience, Willingness to Act If Needed
- Powell and his No. 2 reinforce Fed’s message rates on hold
- Clarida says if headwinds persist, Fed should offset them
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Federal Reserve policy makers from Chairman Jerome Powell on down hammered home the message that the central bank will be especially cautious about pushing ahead with interest-rate increases after raising them four times last year.
“We’re in a place where we can be patient and flexible and wait and see what does evolve, and I think for the meantime we’re waiting and watching,” Powell said in a question-and-answer session at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C.