Fed Chairman Powell made statements today and we shared these, the Beige Book was also published a short while ago. We had mentioned earlier today that it would be released. This report, containing details about the economic situation, has been closely followed by cryptocurrency investors for a long time. The Fed has managed to turn every member of the crypto community into a macroeconomic analyst with the fastest interest rate hikes in history.
Fed Beige Book and Friday’s Outlook
First, let’s briefly talk about Friday. The week will bring inflation and other key data. We will also see the Dencun upgrade, which is expected to stir Ethereum and altcoins. On the other hand, employment and wage increase data for February will be announced this Friday. These data are very important because the ones from the previous month were frustratingly bad. If this month’s data are also bad, we could enter the weekend with long bearish candles in cryptocurrencies. So, will the market lean towards selling in the next 24 hours due to this risk? We will only know by experiencing it.
Key points from the Fed’s Beige Book report are as follows;
- Price pressures persisted during the report period, but many regions reported some moderation in inflation.
- Consumer spending, particularly on retail products, has shown a decline in recent weeks.
- Overall, the tightness in the labor market has further eased.
- Wages continued to rise across the region, although a few reports indicated a slower pace of increase.
- Credit demand remained stable or declined, and credit quality was generally healthy despite a few default reports.
- Businesses struggled to pass on higher costs to customers who are becoming increasingly sensitive to price changes.
- Ongoing shipping disruptions in the Red Sea and Panama Canal did not create a significant impact on businesses during the reporting period.
- The outlook for future economic growth remained generally positive, with contacts expecting stronger demand and less restrictive financial conditions in the next 6 to 12 months.
