CNBC Daily Open: Lower U.S. interest rates? The could-have-beens hurt the most

CNBC Daily Open: Lower U.S. interest rates? The could-have-beens hurt the most


U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell looks on, on the day he testifies before a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on “The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress,” on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 25, 2025.

Kevin Mohatt | Reuters

It’s the what-could-have-beens that hurt the most. The childhood sweetheart who moved to a different country. The early opportunity to invest in a company designing graphics chips for games. The lower interest rates if not for tariffs.

On Tuesday, U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell confirmed that tariffs — and, specifically, their unexpectedly large “size” — are the chief reason the central bank hasn’t lowered rates this year since it last cut them in December.

Imagine that. We could have been living in a world where the fed funds rate is at a range of 4% to 4.25%. If inflation was staying obediently below the Fed’s 2% goal, the range could even be 3.75% to 4%, given that the central bank in June kept last year’s projection of two rate cuts in 2025.

The thought stings. But it might help to think that if U.S. President Donald Trump hadn’t slapped tariffs on partners and penguins, his other policies could have similarly pushed inflation forecasts higher.

Remember how all three major U.S. indexes surged and hit new records on Trump’s election victory because Wall Street was anticipating tax cuts and looser corporate regulation. Without the dampening effect of tariffs, economic optimism might have spilled over into exuberance and higher inflation.

Better to play the cards we were dealt with than to lapse into imagined futures.

What you need to know today

And finally…

In recent years, the company has transformed from a competent private sector telecommunications firm into a “muscular technology juggernaut straddling the entire AI hardware and software stack,” said Paul Triolo, partner and senior vice president for China at advisory firm DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group.

Ramon Costa | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images



Source

The AI ‘neoclouds’ buzz is growing on Wall Street, but risks are bubbling
World

The AI ‘neoclouds’ buzz is growing on Wall Street, but risks are bubbling

Investors are raving about “neoclouds” and what their emergence means for the artificial intelligence boom. However, some warning signs are starting to flash. Neoclouds are companies specializing in AI cloud computing. Unlike traditional hyperscalers such as Amazon and Microsoft, these bespoke companies are viewed as attractive alternatives as they install and manage AI hardware and software […]

Read More
Europe’s most valuable firm SAP flags U.S. trade slowdown but says Japan deal gives ‘hope’
World

Europe’s most valuable firm SAP flags U.S. trade slowdown but says Japan deal gives ‘hope’

A person holds a smartphone displaying the logo of SAP, a German multinational software corporation known for its enterprise resource planning solutions. Cheng Xin | Getty Images News | Getty Images German software giant SAP said Wednesday that U.S. tariff tensions were slowing down its customers’ decision-making, but that the Japan trade agreement announced Tuesday […]

Read More
Mortgage demand flatlines at low levels, as mortgage rates hit 4-week high
World

Mortgage demand flatlines at low levels, as mortgage rates hit 4-week high

A completed planned development is seen in Ashburn, Virginia, on Aug. 14, 2024. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images Mortgage rates rose last week to the highest level in four weeks, but mortgage demand didn’t really move. Total mortgage application volume increased 0.8% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers […]

Read More