Waller: If the economic data meets expectations, there will be a rate hike, and there is no need for consecutive meetings to raise interest rates

Federal Reserve Governor Waller stated that if economic data meets expectations, the Fed is expected to raise interest rates, but there is no need to raise rates consecutively in consecutive meetings. The rate hikes should be implemented within an acceptable time frame. Waller pointed out that US inflation has been consistently above the Federal Reserve's target for about five and a half years, and factors such as artificial intelligence infrastructure construction and ongoing energy shocks still bring inflationary pressures, which may put inflation expectations at risk. At the same time, the labor market remained stable in September, despite a decrease in the number of new job opportunities, there is evidence that the US economy is strengthening in the second half of 2026. Waller also stated that the Federal Reserve can avoid making explicit commitments to forward guidance while improving communication effectiveness by conveying signals of potential policy choices to the market. (Source: Jin Shi)