In a speech, Fed Governor Christopher Waller expressed his support for the additional tightening to combat inflation. Despite this week’s data showing a decrease in core CPI in June, Waller remains cautious, maintaining that “one data point does not make a trend.”
Arguing for a proactive stance, Waller voiced his view that “two more 25-basis-point hikes” this year would be “necessary to keep inflation moving toward our target.”
Waller believe there is “no reason why” the first hike should not occur this month. “If inflation does not continue to show progress and there are no suggestions of a significant slowdown in economic activity,” he added”, “then a second 25-basis-point hike should come sooner rather than later, but that decision is for the future.”
Furthermore, Waller anticipates a need to keep policy restrictive for a while to encourage inflation to settle around the 2% target. “I am going to need to see this improvement sustained before I am confident that inflation has decelerated,” he warned, calling for sustained evidence of improvement before he’s fully convinced of any deceleration in inflation.
