ECB, BOE Shouldn't Wait for Fed to Cut Interest Rates
Hindustan Times-- With the US economy continuing to dodge recession, the Federal Reserve appears to be in no rush to cut interest rates. US Treasury yields have risen around 20 basis points across the curve this year, and even if the first rate cut isn't first-quarter business, it'll probably happen before summer. Fed Chair Jerome Powell is keeping his options open, explaining on CBS's 60 Minutes that while there's no need to rule out a March cut, it's not the US central bank’s base case. The parliamentary Treasury Select Committee on Tuesday called the BOE’s active QT program the most aggressive of any major central bank, calling it a “leap in the dark” that demands more careful analysis. MPC member Swati Dhingra — the only policymaker of any major central bank to vote for a rate cut this year — warned in an FT article Tuesday of a 'profound' hit to the UK economy as downside risks might be underplayed.