Why Fighting Inflation Is Not a Priority for the Fed

On Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) held true to its monetary-tightening timeline despite last week’s 10 percent drawdown in most major indices, effectively saying, “10 percent is not enough.” With retail sales numbers that will surely return to trend without more stimulus (see chart), a gridlocked Senate, and the prospect of higher interest rates surely to discount equity valuations, why aren’t more people selling?

André Marques is Brazilian (Recife-PE) and he holds a graduate degree in Political Science and International Relation