Goldman Sachs said in a note Thursday that it now expects the U.S. central bank to raise interest three more times this year after data released Thursday pointed to persistent inflation and a resilient labor market. The bank, which previously predicted 25-basis-point rate increases in the Fed’s March and May meetings, now expects another rate hike in June.
Bank of America Global Research similarly expects to see three more interest rate increases from the Federal Reserve this year. The bank said earlier that it expected the Fed to raise interest rates by 25 basis points each in its March and May meetings. Bank of America now expects another 25-basis-point rate hike in the Fed’s June meeting, which will push the terminal rate up to a 5.25%-5.5% range.
European investment bank UBS also said it expects the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates by 25 basis points at its March and May meetings, which may leave the Fed funds rate at the 5%-5.25% range. While most people are not expecting the Fed to cut interest rates this year, UBS estimated that the U.S. central bank would ease interest rates at its September meeting.
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