Bank of America CFO Predicts Two More Fed Rate Cuts in 2024

According to Bank of America, growing consensus within the Federal Reserve suggests two more 25 basis point rate cuts this year, as officials adopt a more dovish tone amid labor market concerns.

HBAR

Summary

Bank of America reported that Federal Reserve officials appear increasingly aligned on implementing two additional 25 basis point rate cuts in 2025. The shift follows New York Fed President John Williams’s recent comments highlighting labor market risks and his support for returning rates to a neutral level. While some members, including Governor Michael Barr and regional presidents Austan Goolsbee and Alberto Musalem, expressed caution about inflation, the broader sentiment favors continued monetary easing after September’s cut. Market expectations reflect near certainty of rate reductions at the Fed’s October and December meetings. Concurrently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics plans to release the September CPI report despite the government shutdown, potentially influencing policymakers’ decisions.

Terms & Concepts
  • Basis Point: A unit equal to one-hundredth of a percentage point (0.01%), used to measure changes in interest rates or yields.
  • Neutral Interest Rate: The theoretical rate at which monetary policy is neither stimulating nor restraining economic growth.
  • Federal Reserve Rate Cut: An action by the U.S. central bank to lower its benchmark interest rate, typically aimed at encouraging borrowing and economic expansion.