美联储每年召开8次议息会议,会议纪要(Minutes)是对政策形成过程和政策背后逻辑的详细说明,一般在会议三周后公布。6月12日议息会议的决定是利率不变(5.25-5.5%的政策利率目标区间)、正式开始放缓缩表(将美债月度赎回上限从600亿美元降至每月250亿美元)。7月3日公布的议息会议纪要展示了当时决策背后的更多细节[1]。
一是美联储官员认为通胀回落节奏较去年12月预期的更慢,虽然近期有一些进展(“further progress”),但他们仍需要更多信息证明(additional information)通胀正在持续向目标水平靠近才能降息;表述相较于5月纪要内容(可能进一步收紧货币政策)略偏鸽派。二是美联储官员内部对还需要保持高利率多长时间仍有分歧,一些(several)官员指出非农机构调查数据可能高估(overstate)了就业市场情况,多位(a number of)官员表示就业市场已经回到疫情前水平,就业市场进一步弱化可能导致裁员率加快上升。三是,一些(some)与会者认为长期中性利率较疫情前更高,意味着现阶段货币政策可能并没有预期的那么紧,这也是为何美联储在6月SEP中将长期利率预期从2.6%上调至2.8%。
第一,6月会议中,美联储官员总体认为整体通胀回落节奏较去年12月预期的更慢,虽然近期有一些进展(“modest further progress”),但他们仍需要更多信息证明(additional information)通胀正在持续向目标水平靠近才能降息;这样的表述相较于5月纪要内容(可能进一步收紧货币政策)偏鸽派。5月会议中,美联储官员总体认为政策利率处于合理位置(well-positioned),一季度通胀数据反复导致一些(various)与会者表示,若通胀进一步回升,他们愿意进一步收紧政策(tighten policy further should risks to inflation materialize)。
“In their consideration of monetary policy at this meeting, participants observed that incoming data indicated continued solid growth in economic activity and a strong labor market while also pointing to modest further progress toward the Committee’s 2 percent inflation objective in recent months”
“Participants noted that progress in reducing inflation had been slower this year than they had expected last December. They emphasized that they did not expect that it would be appropriate to lower the target range for the federal funds rate until additional information had emerged to give them greater confidence that inflation was moving sustainably toward the Committee’s 2 percent objective.”
第二,美联储官员内部对还需要保持高利率多长时间仍有分歧;6月点阵图已经反应这一信息。6月点阵图中降息指引较预期偏鹰,其中,4位官员认为今年可能不降息,7位官员认为今年有一次降息,8位官员认为有两次降息。
“Participants noted the uncertainty associated with the economic outlook and with how long it would beappropriate to maintain a restrictive policy stance. ”
“Several participants also suggested that the establishment survey may have overstated actual job gains”。
“A number of participants noted that, although the labor market remained strong, the ratio of vacancies to unemployment had returned to pre-pandemic levels and there was some risk that further cooling in labor market conditions could be associated with an increased pace of layoffs”。
从贝弗里奇曲线的位置来看,现阶段确实处于就业市场的拐点。“a further weakening of demand may now generate a larger unemployment response than in the recent past when lower demand for labor was felt relatively more through fewer job openings”。
第三,一些与会者认为长期中性利率较疫情前更高,意味着现阶段货币政策可能并没有预期的那么紧,这也是为何美联储在6月SEP中将长期利率预期从2.6%上调至2.8%。
“Some remarked that the continued strength of the economy, as well as other factors, could mean that the longer-run equilibrium interest rate was higher than previously assessed, in which case both the stance of monetary policy and overall financial conditions may be less restrictive than they might appear.”
整体来看,美联储仍然保持数据依赖策略,并没有给出确定的货币政策路径;但其货币政策姿态已有微妙的变化:虽然美联储需要更多数据证明通胀回落是可持续的,但近期通胀回落是被认可的,同时,对于就业市场走弱的讨论在增多。这与鲍威尔7月2日在ECB论坛中的发言一致,美联储还没有具体决定(not specific dates)第一次降息在什么时候,但降息主要依赖于两方面条件:一是通胀是否继续回落(making real progress); 二是通胀和就业的双边风险(two-sided risks)需要大致平衡。