Should You Expect Another Fed Rate Hike Wednesday? 5 Experts Share Their Predictions

The Federal Reserve has been signaling for months that it intends to raise interest rates, but the question remains: will it happen at the upcoming policy meeting on Wednesday? To answer this question, we turned to five experts in the financial industry to get their predictions.

Expert #1: John Williams, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

John Williams recently stated that he sees no reason why the Fed shouldn’t raise interest rates this month. In his opinion, the economy is doing well, with low unemployment and strong GDP growth. He also believes that inflation is likely to rise to the Fed’s target level of 2% over time.

Expert #2: Lindsey Piegza, Chief Economist at Stifel Financial Corp.

Lindsey Piegza has a different perspective. She believes that the Fed will remain cautious and wait until its June meeting to raise rates. Piegza points to recent economic data that suggests a softening in growth, particularly in the housing and manufacturing sectors.

Expert #3: Mohamed El-Erian, Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz

Mohamed El-Erian is also in the camp that believes the Fed will wait until June to raise rates. He argues that there are still too many uncertainties in the economy, including the impact of tariffs and the ongoing trade negotiations with China.

Expert #4: Rick Rieder, Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income at BlackRock

Rick Rieder sees a high probability of a rate hike this week. He notes that the recent jobs report showed stronger-than-expected wage growth, which could prompt the Fed to act sooner rather than later.

Expert #5: Jim Bianco, President of Bianco Research

Jim Bianco is also in favor of a rate hike this week, citing strong economic data and a desire by the Fed to get ahead of potential inflationary pressures. He also notes that the Fed has been communicating its intention to raise rates for some time, and failure to do so now could harm the central bank’s credibility.

Overall, opinions are mixed on whether the Fed will raise rates this week, with some experts pointing to positive economic indicators and others noting areas of concern. Whatever the outcome, it is clear that the decision will have significant implications for the economy and financial markets.