Fed to Hike Rates Soon

Fed Chair Jay Powell said that soon it will be appropriate to raise the target fed funds rate, acknowledging that inflation is far above the Fed's long-term goal of 2% and the labor market is "very very strong." Powell didn't rule out the possibility of QT or rolling off the nearly $9 trillion balance sheet or offer timing guidance, except that this would not happen until after the start of rate hikes, which he called the Fed's "primary" tool.