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Interest Rate Cut Expectations Waver Again: June Fails, July Becomes Key?
Will the market's three bets come true?
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Significant Reduction in Interest Rate Cut Expectations
✦ From 6-7 cuts at the beginning of the year down to only 3, reflecting sticky inflation and economic resilience.
✦ The timing of the first rate cut may be delayed: the market's mainstream expectation has shifted from June to July, as the Federal Reserve needs more time to confirm inflation trends.
Key Driving Factors
✦ Strong Economic Data: Employment, retail, and other indicators continue to exceed expectations, reducing the necessity for emergency easing.
✦ Rising Inflation Risks: CPI/PCE data has fluctuated since March, with core inflation still above the 2% target.
✦ Policy Uncertainty: New tariffs may raise import costs, further compressing the space for interest rate cuts.
Potential Market Impact
✦ Asset Prices: U.S. Treasury yields fluctuate at high levels, growth stock valuations are under pressure; the dollar remains strong.
✦ Real Economy: Delay in the decline of corporate financing costs, ongoing pressure in high-leverage industries.
✦ Policy Game: If the economy deteriorates rapidly (e.g., unemployment rate exceeds 4%), it may trigger an emergency shift by the Federal Reserve.
Future Observation Focus
| Indicator | Threshold and Signal Significance |
|--------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| Core PCE | Can it stabilize below 2.5%? |
| Non-farm Jobs | 4% unemployment rate as a potential trigger for policy shift |
| Geopolitical Policy | Tariffs/supply chain effects on secondary inflation transmission |
Conclusion
The market has priced in a "higher for longer" expectation, but there are still uncertainties regarding a rate cut in July.
⤷ Upside Risk: Weak June data (e.g., CPI/non-farm weakness) may prompt action as early as June.
⤷ Downside Risk: Inflation rebound or geopolitical conflicts could delay rate cuts until Q4.
(Watch closely for speeches from Federal Reserve officials and CPI data on June 12)