Fed Turns Dovish, Signals Upcoming Rate Cut: What This Means for Banks

At Jackson Hole, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell struck a more dovish tone, hinting that a rate cut could be on the horizon. He described the labor market as in a “curious balance,” wherein hiring is slowing and the pool of available workers is shrinking due to demographic shifts and the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Markets were already betting on lower rates, with the policy range currently at 4.25-4.5%. Weakening job data has only strengthened those expectations. According to the CME FedWatch tool, nearly 87% of traders now see a 25-basis-point cut in September as the most likely outcome.

Stocks rallied on Powell’s remarks. During Friday’s trading session, the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index jumped 3.2%, the Dow Jones gained 1.9% and major banks advanced — Citigroup C up 2.9%, Bank of America BAC 2.5%, JPMorgan Chase JPM 2.1% and Wells Fargo WFC 1.6%.

Reasons for Signalling Rate Cut

Rising Risks in the Labor Market: Powell highlighted that while unemployment remains low, both hiring and labor supply are slipping, raising the risks of sudden layoffs or rising joblessness. Even a modest slowdown may trigger layoffs and rising unemployment, prompting the central bank to take a dovish stance to cushion the economy before those risks materialize.

Balancing Inflation & Growth: While inflation remains above the Fed’s 2% target, Powell signaled a shift in priorities. Earlier in the tightening cycle, the Fed was willing to slow growth to bring prices down. Now, protecting jobs and sustaining economic momentum appear to outweigh the risk of inflation staying sticky. In effect, the Fed’s reaction function has turned more dovish, with greater sensitivity to weakening growth than to lingering price pressures.

Financial Conditions & Credit Flows: Beyond inflation and employment, elevated borrowing costs have strained both households and businesses, especially those with debt maturing after years of near-zero rates. Prolonged high interest rates risk dampening credit flows, stifling business investment and curbing consumer demand. By lowering rates, the Fed aims to ease financing pressures and prevent a slowdown in lending activity, which is critical to sustaining overall economic growth.

How Are Banks Likely to be Affected?

The Fed’s rate reductions, already totaling 100 basis points in 2024, have begun to stabilize funding costs, particularly deposit costs that had been rising during the tightening cycle. Any further rate cut will support net interest income (NII) expansion, a critical earnings driver for banks such as WFC, C, BAC and JPM. While lower benchmark rates can compress yields on loans and securities, the easing of funding pressures helps preserve margins.

Lower rates also relieve financial stress for borrowers. Many households and businesses took on debt during the near-zero interest rate era and are now facing maturities at significantly higher costs. A rate cut makes refinancing more affordable, reducing the risks of defaults. This, in turn, can help banks improve credit quality and limit the need for higher loan-loss provisions.

Also, it is expected to encourage consumers and businesses to borrow. Such increased lending activity can result in larger profitability for banks as they earn more interest on these loans. 

Despite these positives, the full impact will not be immediate. Loan growth and improved asset quality take time to work through balance sheets, while margin compression may still weigh on near-term earnings. As a result, investors should expect a gradual rather than an immediate improvement in bank profitability.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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