Renowned economist Mohamed El-Erian has raised concerns over the Federal Reserve’s potential policy direction for 2025.
What Happened: El-Erian emphasized the importance of the Fed avoiding an overly restrictive stance in the coming year, while speaking to CNBC’s “Closing Bell” on Tuesday.
El-Erian, who serves as the chief economic adviser at Allianz, highlighted the U.S. economy’s resilience as a shield against global economic challenges. He cautioned that the Federal Reserve should not jeopardize this strength by adopting excessively stringent monetary policies. This caution comes amid a global economic environment where Europe is grappling with recession and China faces challenges in balancing reforms with stimulus measures.
“It’s important for the Fed not to be overly restrictive and that means it will need to tolerate a slightly high inflation rate because there are so many structural changes,” he said.
He noted that the incoming administration will face a delicate balancing act between deregulation and liberalization, driven by corporate activities and advancements in AI and life sciences, against the risks posed by excessive tariffs and labor market disruptions.
See Also: 5 Semiconductor Stocks Wall Street Analysts Predict Could Soar In 2025
Why It Matters: The Federal Reserve’s recent decision to implement a 25-basis-point interest rate cut in December, bringing the federal funds rate to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, marks the third consecutive reduction in borrowing costs. This move has brought rates to their lowest level since January 2023.
Despite the Fed’s hawkish tone, some analysts anticipate up to four rate cuts in 2025. This expectation contrasts with the Fed’s December dot plot, which projects only two additional 25-basis-point cuts. The market reactions to the Fed’s statements have been significant, with some analysts arguing that they have erased stock market gains since the Presidential election.
Price Action: As per Benzinga Pro, as of Tuesday 6:36 am ET, the YTD returns of SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY which tracks the S&P 500 closely, increased by 24.45% while that of Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 QQQ tracking the Nasdaq 100 rose by 28.07%.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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