Fed's Bullard supports a 50 basis point rate hike, plus 100 basis points by July 1

On February 11, St. Louis Fed official Bullard said that he supports a cumulative rate hike of 100 basis points by early July, including a one-time increase of 50 basis points for the first time since 2000, to deal with the worst inflation in four decades. Bullard, who has voted on monetary policy this year, said in an interview on Thursday, “I was more hawkish, but I raised my expectations significantly about what the committee should do.” Currently, Bullard’s plan includes three splits Implement interest rate hikes, shrink the balance sheet from the second quarter, and then decide on the path of interest rates in the second half of the year based on the latest data. He said he had not yet decided whether to raise interest rates by 50 basis points at the March meeting and would respect Powell's decision. Powell had said in a January news conference that he would not rule out doing so.