Jerome H. Powell has wrapped up his final news conference as chair of the Federal Reserve. Here are a few takeaways:
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The biggest news out of the Fed meeting was that Mr. Powell plans to stay on as a governor after his term as chair ends May 15. He cited legal threats against the institution and warned that the central bank’s independence was “at risk.” Powell did not say how long he would stay on as a governor, a position he can hold until January 2028.
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Powell vowed that he would maintain a “low profile” at the Fed when he continues to serve as a governor, underscoring his desire to have as smooth of a transition as possible when Kevin M. Warsh takes over. He also downplayed any suggestion that Mr. Warsh is taking over a Fed that has lost credibility. “Any new Fed chair has the same situation, which is you’ve got 18 colleagues on the F.O.M.C., 11 of them vote during any year, and your job is to create consensus,” he said. Warsh “has the capabilities, skills to be very good at that,” he added.
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The Fed held rates steady, as expected, but the decision was much more divisive than expected. Officials were broadly on board with Wednesday’s action, but they have started to splinter over what guidance the Fed should provide about the path forward. The primary point of opposition is whether the Fed should be more explicit that the next move from officials may not be a rate cut but could in fact be a rate increase, as inflation risks rise because of the Iran war. Powell said for now that policy was in a good place and that “nobody’s calling for a hike right now.”
