Despite recent signs that U.S. price pressures have eased, Jamie Dimon, the recognized "No. 1 on Wall Street" and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, once again issued an inflation warning last Friday.
“(The Fed) has made some progress in reducing inflation, but multiple inflationary pressures remain before us: large fiscal deficits, infrastructure needs, trade restructuring, and the remilitarization of the world,” Dimon said in a statement released along with the bank’s second-quarter earnings report. “As a result, inflation and interest rates are likely to be higher than markets expect.”
His comments came after data last week showed U.S. inflation fell in June for the first time in more than four years, fueling bets that the Federal Reserve could soon cut interest rates.
San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said after the CPI data was released that the latest CPI report may be a signal that the Fed should cut interest rates. Fed Chairman Powell's comments to Congress earlier last week on rising unemployment also gave some investors hope for a rate cut. Powell began to worry that maintaining too high interest rates for a long time could jeopardize economic growth, and predicted that as long as progress in fighting inflation continues, there is a possibility of a rate cut.
But Dimon, like many economists, has sounded the alarm about the U.S.'s ballooning debt and deficit. So far, the federal government has spent $855 billion more than it has taken in in fiscal 2024. In fiscal 2023, the government's deficit spending reached $1.7 trillion. A report released by the Congressional Budget Office on June 18 predicted that in fiscal 2024, the federal government's budget deficit is expected to reach $1.9 trillion.
Powell also warned that the US fiscal deficit is unsustainable. According to the Financial Times, he warned last week that the US fiscal deficit is too high given the state of the US economy and that lawmakers should address the US fiscal problem "sooner rather than later."
JPMorgan Chase & Co. reported profit and revenue that topped expectations on Friday, but Dimon still warned of potential future risks from geopolitical instability.
Dimon added: “The geopolitical situation remains complex and perhaps the most dangerous since World War II — although the outcome and impact on the global economy remain unknown.”
Article forwarded from: Jinshi Data