June FOMC meeting should be live, Harker says

The June Federal Open Market Committee meeting should be live, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker said.

June “should be a live meeting for sure,” Harker said in a podcast published by American Banker Tuesday.

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Patrick T. Harker, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, speaks during a panel discussion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., on Friday, Sept. 23, 2016. The Federal Reserve presidents from Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Atlanta, came together to discuss the economy and the labor market. Photographer: Charles Mostoller/Bloomberg

Having projected three rate hikes this year, he said, it seems on track for “two more at least, possibly more, depending on whether we start to see the wage pressures build and translate into inflationary pressures.”

Inflation is the only consideration left, he said, noting, “we’re getting mixed signals … a little bit right now.”

But, Harker said, “I remain pretty confident we’re close to our 2% [inflation] target, and that if we don’t see a deceleration in inflation, but continued growth in inflation, June is a distinct possibility” for a rate hike.

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Monetary policy Economy Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
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