PANews reported on April 19 that due to disappointment with Federal Reserve Chairman Powell's pushback against central bank market support, the Dow and Nasdaq both fell over 2% this week, with the S&P 500 declining 1.5%. Investors mostly adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards tariff negotiations before making long-term bets. Traders are paying more attention to specific country discussion progress, seeking clues on how tariffs will evolve. Several Federal Reserve officials will give intensive speeches next week, and here are the key points the market will focus on in the new week:
Monday at 20:30, 2025 FOMC voter and Chicago Fed President Goolsbee will be interviewed by CNBC;
Tuesday at 21:00, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Jefferson will speak at the Economic Liquidity Summit;
Tuesday at 22:00, ECB President Lagarde will be interviewed by CNBC;
Tuesday at 21:30, 2026 FOMC voter and Philadelphia Fed President Harker will speak at the Economic Liquidity Summit;
Wednesday at 02:00, 2026 FOMC voter and Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari will give a speech;
Wednesday at 21:00, 2025 FOMC voter and Chicago Fed President Goolsbee will deliver an opening speech at an event;
Wednesday at 21:30, 2025 FOMC voter and St. Louis Fed President Mester and Fed Governor Waller will deliver opening speeches at an event;
Thursday at 02:00, the Federal Reserve will publish the Beige Book on economic conditions;
Thursday at 20:30, US initial jobless claims for the week ending April 19;
Friday at 05:00, 2026 FOMC voter and Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari will give a speech;
Friday at 22:00, final US April University of Michigan Consumer Confidence Index and final US April one-year inflation expectation.
US National Economic Council Director Hassett stated that Trump is exploring whether "removing Fed Chairman Powell" is an option. Hassett suggested that the Federal Reserve under Powell's leadership has political leanings, with rate hikes and cuts benefiting the Democratic Party. Trump administration's efforts to remove Powell could further disrupt markets. Evercore ISI Vice Chairman Krishna Guha warned that a sudden explicit threat to the Fed's independence would intensify market pressure and push it towards a more stagflationary direction, significantly increasing tail risks.
