The Dividend Cafe
The Dividend Cafe
The Bahnsen Group
Everything We Learned about the New Fed This Week
24 minutes Posted Jul 31, 2026 at 1:41 pm.
Welcome and Setup
Why This Fed Meeting
Case for Rate Hike
Fed Transparency Shift
Markets Tightened Already
Balance Sheet First
Warsh Philosophy Shift
Hike Odds and Outlook
Independence and Politics
Closing Takeaways
Sign Off and Weekend
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Show notes
Today's Post - https://bahnsen.co/4wwsHI5
David Bahnsen reviews this week’s Fed meeting, noting some credible forecasts expected a surprise 25–50 bp hike, though the Fed ultimately held. He argues the Fed’s rationale was unusually direct: financial conditions tightened without a hike as yields rose across the curve, and further tightening should prioritize stopping balance-sheet expansion after $200–$250B of added assets this year. Bahnsen contrasts camps calling for hikes because inflation has stayed above 2% with those citing falling TIPS-implied inflation expectations near 2%, while emphasizing Warsh’s market-focused approach and opposition to investors “gaming” Fed guidance (“play the ball, not the referee”). Warsh rejects a Phillips-curve tradeoff, saying price stability and full employment are not in conflict and inflation harms labor markets. Bahnsen expects falling hike odds and is skeptical rates rise this year, viewing Warsh as reform-minded but incremental, independent from President Trump despite citing tariffs and oil-driven supply shocks.
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TheBahnsenGroup.com