A tale of two worlds

Fed Independence Is Sacred... Or So We've Been Told Authored by Richard Roberts via RealClearMarkets.com, For the better part of a year, many had become convinced that the Federal Reserve's independence was in its final days. The narrative rested on two prongs. First, an FOMC browbeaten by relentless public attacks, threats of removal, and a Justice Department criminal probe into Chair Jerome Powell. The pressure, many argued, had grown so intense that Fed decisions would no longer be trusted to reflect economics rather than politics. Second, a new chair expected to arrive in May...

The Market Is Grappling With Two Major Unknowns By Stefan Koopman, Senior Macro Strategist at Rabobank President Trump began this week’s Monday‑morning jawboning ahead of schedule. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening as he returned to Washington DC, he talked up the negotiations with Iran, said that Iran’s new leadership already constitutes “regime change” and praised the “deal” with Iranian speaker Ghalibaf to allow up to 20 Pakistan-flagged oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian (!) escort. Markets have already brushed aside Trump’s comments,...