Episode Summary

Fed Boosts Benchmark By 50 Basis Points

The Federal Open Market Committee agreed to raise the federal funds target rate by 50 basis points and to begin shrinking the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet in June by $47.5 billion, with the runoff pace to reach a maximum of $95 billion per month after three months. The FOMC noted in its statement that “ongoing” increases to the fed funds target rate will be appropriate. The central bank’s quest now is to find some “neutral” rate of interest without tipping the economy into recession. “The last time the Fed made a 50-basis-point move was March 2000,” notes Darius Dale. “The dot-com bubble burst shortly thereafter, with the S&P 500 losing 50% and the Nasdaq Composite shedding 80% from 2000 peak to 2002 trough.” Equity indexes were mixed shortly after the FOMC announcement and shortly ahead of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference. Dale, founder and CEO of 42 Macro, joins Real Vision’s Maggie Lake for today’s Real Vision Daily Briefing to talk about the Fed, the economy, and how the “smart money” is reacting to quarterly earnings reports. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3y9meHD