Jerome Powell faces a tricky task this week of both assuring investors the economy remains on solid footing while also conveying policymakers stand ready to step in if necessary.
Even as the Federal Reserve chair has touted US resilience, uneasiness sparked by President Donald Trump’s rapidly escalating trade war has sent stocks tumbling over the past month. Bond yields are down, too, as is consumer sentiment as worries about the economic outlook mount.
“Powell needs to give some sort of a signal that they’re watching it,” said Dominic Konstam, head of macro strategy at Mizuho Securities USA. While the Fed chief will likely make it clear that officials don’t target the stock market, they can’t ignore the recent slide, he warned.