Economics

Fed on Track for Half-Point Hike in May as Hawkish Pivot Deepens

  • New York Fed chief says 50 basis points a ‘reasonable option’
  • Says ‘we do need to move policy back to more neutral levels’
Fed’s Williams Says Half-Point Rate Hike Is ‘Reasonable Option’
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Federal Reserve officials are reinforcing expectations they’ll raise interest rates by a half percentage-point next month, accelerating a hawkish pivot to curb the hottest inflation in four decades.

“I think that’s a reasonable option for us because the federal funds rate is very low,” Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said Thursday in a Bloomberg Television interview. “We do need to move policy back to more neutral levels.”