Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that strong U.S. economic growth will allow policymakers to take their time in deciding how far and how fast to lower interest rates. "The economy is not sending any signals that we need to be in a hurry to lower rates,

Chair Jerome Powell says the Federal Reserve will likely cut its key interest rate slowly and deliberately in the coming months, in part because inflation has shown signs of persistence and the Fed’s officials want to see where it heads next.

WASHINGTON - US stocks fell on Nov 14, as traders digested an uptick in inflation and comments from Fed chairman Jerome Powell, which had the effect of cooling expectations of a December rate cut. Consumer and producer inflation data published this week point to a small rise in the rate of price increases, complicating the Fed’s rate-cutting plans.

The Fed lowered rates by 25 basis points to a 20-month low, but economists say tariffs may throw a wrench in the rate cutting cycle.

A look at the day ahead in Asian markets. A warm reading on U.S. producer price inflation in October and hawkish comments by Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell weighed on Wall Street and shouldn't distract Asian investors much from focusing on the incoming Trump administration.

"The economy is not sending any signals that we need to be in a hurry to lower rates," Powell said Thursday in Dallas.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that the economy is in a good place, with inflation on a sustainable path back to the central bank’s 2% target, and that he expects inflation to continue to come down on a “sometimes bumpy” path.

A strong economy is giving Federal Reserve officials room to move “carefully” as they lower interest rates, the central bank chair said.