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The Federal Reserve moved in a big way on Wednesday to immediately lower borrowing costs for the first time in four years.
The central bankās slashed its short-term policy rate by half a percentage point, bringing it down to a target range of 4.75% to 5%.
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But Wall Street still didnāt get exactly what it wanted. Longer-dated Treasury yields, which are used as a peg to price auto loans, mortgages and more, were climbing off the yearās lows touched earlier in the week.
Higher yields suggest that, despite the Fedās big rate cut out of the gate, Wall Street was disappointed by what the central bank telegraphed about the months to come.
āWe believe rates across the curve had come down too far, too fast,ā said Cindy Beaulieu, chief investment officer, North America, at Conning, which has about $160 billion in assets under management.
While the initial rate cut of 50 basis points came as a surprise, Beaulieu said Fed Chair Jerome Powell used his afternoon press conference to telegraph a careful approach toward cutting rates in the future.
Powell called Wednesdayās move āthe beginning of this process,ā but said the Fed isnāt in a rush and will act carefully at each subsequent meeting. āWe can make a good strong start. And Iām very pleased that we did,ā he noted.
Beaulieu thinks that approach sounds prudent, even if it isnāt what all investors wanted to hear. āWe still have a solid economy, and a consumer who is not giving up,ā she said. āLonger rates moving higher makes a lot of sense.ā
The 10-year Treasury yield BX:TMUBMUSD10Y rose 4 basis points to 3.685% as of 3 p.m. Eastern time, coming off lows for the year set earlier in the week.
Beaulieu thinks the 10-year yield could end the year north of 4%, and even at 4.25%. āThe market talks about pricing in a soft landing, but when driving rates so low, that sounds a lot more like a recession,ā she said.
Volatility in the bond market has been running high since the Fed started hiking rates in 2022, causing historical losses in bonds and whiplash across financial markets. While inflation and rate hikes no longer look like the big threats they were to investors two years ago, shocks in the rates market can still be painful for portfolios.