{"text":[[{"start":8.25,"text":"Many top Federal Reserve officials wanted the US central bank to drop language signalling its next move would be to lower borrowing costs at its April meeting, highlighting mounting concerns over the Iran war."}],[{"start":21.2,"text":"“Many participants indicated that they would have preferred removing the language from the post-meeting statement that suggested an easing bias regarding the likely direction of the [Federal Open Market Committee’s] future interest rate decisions,” minutes from the late-April meeting released on Wednesday said. "}],[{"start":37,"text":"The minutes also showed that “a majority of participants” said rate rises would probably become appropriate if inflation were to “continue to run persistently” above the central bank’s 2 per cent goal. "}],[{"start":50.4,"text":"The chorus of policymakers calling for a removal of the so-called easing bias highlights the growing sense of unease about President Donald Trump’s war in Iran. It highlights how Kevin Warsh will inherit a deeply divided Fed when he succeeds Jay Powell as chair at the end of this week. "}],[{"start":67.55,"text":"A surge in petrol and diesel prices triggered by the conflict has sent the Fed’s preferred headline PCE inflation measure rising to 3.5 per cent, its highest level since 2023. "}],[{"start":79.75,"text":"Wednesday’s minutes show that several more top Fed officials had favoured the easing bias to be removed than previously thought. The Cleveland Fed’s Beth Hammack, Minneapolis’ Neel Kashkari and Lorie Logan of the Dallas Fed had all agreed with the FOMC’s decision to hold rates at 3.5 to 3.75 per cent, but they dissented with language suggesting the next move would be to reduce rates."}],[{"start":104.35,"text":"The use of the term “many” in the minutes signals other regional Fed presidents who do not hold votes on the FOMC this year, but participate in the meetings, supported the removal of the easing bias. "}],[{"start":116.75,"text":"“The fact that a majority felt that ‘some’ policy firming would likely become appropriate if inflation continued to run above 2 per cent . . . and that ‘many’ preferred removing the easing bias from the statement suggests a fairly hawkish turn on the committee towards rate hikes this year,” said Omair Sharif at consultancy Inflation Insights."}],[{"start":137.9,"text":"Thomas Ryan at Capital Economics added that “the minutes from the Fed’s late April meeting were even more hawkish than expected based on the initial post-meeting communications, which had been largely unchanged despite some dissents”."}],[{"start":152.65,"text":"Ahead of the Iran war, investors had expected the central bank to cut borrowing costs by a quarter point twice this year."}],[{"start":159.35,"text":"But markets have already begun anticipating a hawkish shift from the Fed, with trading in federal funds futures pointing to 50 per cent odds that it raises rates by the end of 2026, CME Group data shows. "}],[{"start":173.54999999999998,"text":"Stephen Miran, a Fed governor who was nominated by Trump, also dissented with the decision, saying that he would have preferred a rate cut. It marked the highest number of dissents since 1992."}],[{"start":186.7,"text":"Miran resigned from the Fed board last week to make room for Warsh, following Powell’s decision to remain a governor after his term as chair ends."}],[{"start":202.1,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1779331791_6205.mp3"}