The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) staged a remarkable recovery in recent weeks. After trading 9% below its peak in late March, the index has already recouped its losses and returned to record highs, reflecting expectations that the U.S. will soon reach a resolution with Iran.
However, the rebound may have been premature. Oil prices remain over $100 per barrel, inflation is increasing, and geopolitical tensions remain elevated. Last week, Jerome Powell wrapped those concerns into a succinct warning during his final press conference as Federal Reserve chairman. Here are the important details.
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Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says the economic outlook is “highly uncertain”
Earlier in the year, inflation was trending lower and jobs growth had flatlined, so investors expected the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates at least twice in 2026. Specifically, futures traders were betting on at least one 25-basis-point cut by April and at least two 25-basis-point cuts by December, according to CME Group‘s FedWatch tool.
However, the situation has not unfolded as investors expected. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has held its benchmark rate steady for three meetings, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned last week, “The economic outlook remains highly uncertain and the conflict in the Middle East has added to this uncertainty.”
He also predicted the Iran conflict would continue to drive price increases across the U.S. economy. “In the near term, higher energy prices will push up overall inflation. Beyond that, the scope and duration of potential effects on the economy remain unclear,” he said during his final press conference as Fed chairman.
Indeed, Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation jumped 90 basis points to 3.3% as gasoline prices soared in March, the worst reading since April 2024. But higher gas prices will eventually spread to other sectors by increasing transportation and manufacturing costs. In fact, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s forecasting tool puts CPI inflation near 3.6% in April.
So what? The interest rate cuts investors anticipated at the beginning of the year (and still anticipate to some degree today) may never materialize. JPMorgan Chase economists think policymakers will hold rates steady in the remaining months of 2026, then pivot to rate hikes in the third quarter of 2027. That could mean trouble for the stock market.
