On July 14, Federal Reserve Governor Waller stated that if the core inflation data released this week remains high, the Federal Reserve will need to consider raising interest rates in the near future. Waller said that the recent rise in core inflation is concerning him, with tariffs, rising energy prices, and the demand for artificial intelligence investment being the main factors driving up inflation. He expects overall inflation to slow down starting this week, but core inflation will remain a key indicator to watch.
However, Waller also pointed out that if core inflation continues to decline, keeping interest rates unchanged remains a reasonable option. He reiterated that the Federal Reserve is committed to restoring inflation to its 2% target while avoiding a recession caused by overly tight policy.In addition, Waller believes that the U.S. labor market remains robust, close to the Federal Reserve's maximum employment goal, consumer spending and business investment remain strong, and AI-related investment is expected to continue to grow.[BlockBeats]