Powell Has Reason to Hedge Jackson Hole Signal as Data Zigzags

Jerome Powell has the ideal platform Friday to deliver a clear signal the Federal Reserve is about to resume cutting interest rates. But the economy isn’t giving him an equally clear signal that now is the time.

The Fed chair’s annual speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming can be an opportunity to flag policy shifts. Powell used it for that purpose last year, and delivered a big cut soon after. He’s under intense pressure from President Donald Trump for a repeat performance.