Investigation into Powell Concluded, Paving the Way for Walsh's Confirmation as Fed Chair, Rate Cut Expectations Rise

On April 24, the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Piro, announced the termination of the investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Powell regarding the Fed’s building costs. The Fed’s Inspector General has been asked to review the Fed’s expenditures. However, if necessary, the investigation will be restarted without hesitation. According to CME’s ‘FedWatch’ data, the probability of the Fed cutting rates by an additional 25 basis points by the end of this year is 76%, with a 21.3% chance of a 50 basis point cut, a 2.2% chance of a 75 basis point cut, a 0.1% chance of a 100 basis point cut, and a 0.4% chance of no rate cut. Meanwhile, the conclusion of the Powell investigation also paves the way for Kevin Walsh’s nomination confirmation as Fed Chair. According to PolyBeats monitoring, the probability of ‘Walsh being ultimately confirmed as Fed Chair’ on the prediction market Polymarket has risen, with an 80% chance of confirmation before May 15 and a 95% chance before June 30.