Skip to main content
Market Update

Markets react to inflation projections as the Fed maintains course on interest rates

Date:
March 22, 2021
  • Austin Young headshot

    Authors

    Austin Young

    Client Relationship Management

    Corporates | Denver, CO

Summary

March Madness is in full swing in the financial markets, with brackets already busted as investors reacted last week to growing concerns of inflation risk while the Fed announced rates are likely to remain at current levels through 2023.

Economic outlook

During last week’s FOMC meeting the Fed significantly increased its economic growth forecast, with expectations for GDP growth to reach 6.5% in 2021, a jump from the previous projection of 4.2% announced in mid-December. FOMC members also announced expectations for unemployment to fall to 4.5%, a sign that the economy may be headed in the right direction towards a recovery from impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The Fed announced it would likely maintain existing policy levers to hold interest rates at the current near-zero levels through 2023.

Following the announcement, the 10-year Treasury yield increased to 1.75% on Thursday, marking a 14-month high, as both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 also closed Wednesday at record highs. Meanwhile, with vaccinations increasing and a new round of stimulus checks for Americans because of the recent $1.9 trillion relief package, U.S. inflation is expected to rise to 2.2% before the end of the year. Although some investors expressed concern that such rapid growth may lead to sustained inflation, the most recent FOMC dot plot shows no consensus for a rate hike through 2023, indicating that, while the economy may be on the road to a full recovery, there is still work to be done.

(Related insight: Read, "Interest rates continue rising amidst positive inflation data and COVID-19 stimulus")

Market reactions to inflation projections

Markets reacted with choppiness as the Fed held to its new policy framework of average inflation targeting. Although Treasury yields extended recent gains, equity markets seesawed back and forth throughout the day Thursday. U.S. technology stocks were hit especially hard as the NASDAQ dropped 3%, while equities in Asia and Europe were buoyed as a result of the stronger economic growth projections announced by the Fed.

The U.S. dollar index initially fell on Wednesday following the FOMC announcement. However, rising U.S. bond yields helped the dollar rebound and strengthen broadly against major currencies on Thursday. Oil has continued to slip amid expectations of declining demand in Europe, with U.S. crude prices falling more than 7% to $60 per barrel. Meanwhile, gold futures rallied from early losses to post modest gains on Thursday afternoon. However it remains to be seen if precious metal gains will hold up if bond yields continue to increase.

The Fed’s decision to stay the course in light of inflation projections serves as a cautionary reminder to bullish investors that it will take time for the economy to fully recover. Some participants expressed concern that sustained inflation may cause the economy to overheat, resulting in the potential for heightened volatility throughout the financial markets.

(Related insight: Read, "Managing interest rate risk on future debt issuances.")

Week ahead

As Americans continue to receive stimulus payments, investors will continue to closely monitor Treasury-yields and consumer spending trends. On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the State Employment and Unemployment news release for February 2021.

About the author

  • Austin Young

    Client Relationship Management

    Corporates | Denver, CO


Disclaimers

Chatham Hedging Advisors, LLC (CHA) is a subsidiary of Chatham Financial Corp. and provides hedge advisory, accounting and execution services related to swap transactions in the United States. CHA is registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as a commodity trading advisor and is a member of the National Futures Association (NFA); however, neither the CFTC nor the NFA have passed upon the merits of participating in any advisory services offered by CHA. For further information, please visit chathamfinancial.com/legal-notices.

Transactions in over-the-counter derivatives (or “swaps”) have significant risks, including, but not limited to, substantial risk of loss. You should consult your own business, legal, tax and accounting advisers with respect to proposed swap transaction and you should refrain from entering into any swap transaction unless you have fully understood the terms and risks of the transaction, including the extent of your potential risk of loss. This material has been prepared by a sales or trading employee or agent of Chatham Hedging Advisors and could be deemed a solicitation for entering into a derivatives transaction. This material is not a research report prepared by Chatham Hedging Advisors. If you are not an experienced user of the derivatives markets, capable of making independent trading decisions, then you should not rely solely on this communication in making trading decisions. All rights reserved.

21-0077