Jamie Dimon: 'The Fed Should Not Worry About Volatile Markets Unless They Affect The Actual Economy'

The Federal Reserve faces the daunting task of cooling the hottest inflation numbers in nearly 40 years. 

In an annual letter to shareholders, JPMorgan Chase JPM CEO Jamie Dimon warned of the treacherous journey ahead for the Fed and what it could mean for financial markets. 

"I do not envy the Fed for what it must do next: The stronger the recovery, the higher the rates that follow and the stronger the quantitative tightening," Dimon said. 

The JPMorgan CEO said rate hikes could significantly exceed market expectations. Although he said the Fed took necessary actions during the pandemic, Dimon said the amount of fiscal spending and quantitative easing put in place was too large and lasted too long. 

Now even if the Fed is able to get it right, the markets will still experience periods of elevated volatility, he said, adding that it's not something the Fed should be concerned about. 

Dimon's Advice: "The Fed should not worry about volatile markets unless they affect the actual economy. A strong economy trumps market volatility," Dimon said.

He suggested that in the face of supply chain constraints, sanctions and war, consistency will be impossible to achieve, so the Fed should exempt itself and allow for flexibility. 

Related Link: Here's How Much Jamie Dimon Says The Russia-Ukraine War Will Cost JPMorgan

Dimon highlighted the differences between today's environment and the monetary policy changes that followed the great financial crisis of 2008.

"In today’s economic environment, countries’ central banks do not need to increase their foreign exchange reserves as they did after the great financial crisis, and banks don’t need to buy Treasuries to improve their liquidity ratios," he said.

As a result, business investments will likely be higher than in 2008 and governments will need to borrow more money. 

"This massive change in the flow of funds triggered by Fed tightening is certain to have market and economic effects that will be studied for decades to come," Dimon said, noting that JPMorgan is preparing accordingly. 

JPM Price Action: JPMorgan has traded between $127.27 and $172.96 over a 52-week period.

The stock gained 0.46% Monday, closing at $135.91, according to Benzinga Pro. 

Photo: Steve Jurvetson from Flickr.