Commentary: Sharp shift to Fed dovishness
By Mark Sobel in Washington
The Federal Open Market Committee’s decision at the end of January to pause rate increases was long telegraphed and widely expected. But the highly dovish messaging in the Federal Reserve statement and press conference by Chair Jerome Powell surprised markets.
The reasoning for the sharp shift in Fed rhetoric between December and January remains elusive. To reconcile an unchanged baseline economic outlook with its dovish messages, the Fed pointed to increased external downside risks.
Read the full commentary on the website.
Podcast: Gender diversity in central banks
Ed Sibley, deputy governor and chair of the diversity and inclusion steering group at the Central Bank of Ireland, speaks to Danae Kyriakopoulou, chief economist and head of research at OMFIF.
They discuss the arguments for and importance of diversity in policy-making institutions and the financial sector, and the policies and initiatives central banks can put in place to support women’s career progression.
Listen to the recording, or search for OMFIF on your smartphone’s podcast app.