Bullard: Fed doesn't react directly to equity markets

Bullard is the worst for reacting to equity markets

He's speaking for the next hour on XM Radio (Channel 111, if you want to hear him blab):

  • Says he's more sanguine than the markets on the global outlook
  • Our tracking still has Q3 growth at 2.5-3.0%
  • Falling labor force participation 'doesn't mean all that much'
  • The unemployment decline is not over, it will continue in the next two years
  • 'Even if we do liftoff, we've committed to very low rates'
  • Unemployment will fall to 4-4.5% is his baseline scenario
  • My long-run Fed funds rate is 3.25% 'I think that's ultimately where we're headed'
  • Discord between FOMC and market expectations should close once Fed hikes once or twice
  • To justify market expectations, growth would need to be very slow and employment wouldn't improve much at all
  • We haven't raised rates in 10 years so you have a lot of traders who have never seen a hike (that's why markets are wrong)
  • I'm not trying to react directly to equity markets
  • Yuan devaluation puts focus on Chinese growth
  • Business contacts more downbeat on China than before
  • IOER will mean big payments to banks
  • Payments to big banks could cause political problems for Fed
  • No decision has been made on rates, but there has been a lot of cumulative progress

He still has about 40 minutes to go but he doesn't sound at all like he's going to offer a dovish comment to equity bulls.

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