The Federal Reserve's megaphone: Powell did not issue an aggressive stance on tariff inflation to boost the stock market

On March 20, "Federal Reserve mouthpiece" Nick Timiraos wrote that the Federal Reserve maintained its base rate unchanged while assessing how a series of policy changes by the Trump administration on trade, immigration, spending and taxation could reshape the economic outlook. Consumer confidence has slumped in recent weeks amid headlines of federal spending cuts and higher tariffs. "We think now is a good time to wait for more clarity on the situation," Fed Chairperson Jerome Powell said at a news conference on Wednesday. Investors were cheered by Powell's failure to take a more aggressive stance on potential tariff-related price increases. The Dow closed up 0.9 percent, while the S & P 500 and Nasdaq both rose more than 1 percent.