Indices 13/03, page-157

Gundlach predicts US rate pause after March meeting

BloombergShare post DoubleLine Capital’s Jeffrey Gundlach said on CNBC that he expected next week’s Federal Reserve meeting to mark the last rate increase for the year, adding that anything higher than a 25 basis-point rise could damage the central bank’s credibility.“I just think to save, kind of, the program and their credibility, they’ll probably raise rates 25 basis points,” Gundlach said. “I would think that would be the last increase.”The DoubleLine Capital founder also said he was unsure if the upcoming inflation numbers were as “relevant” to the Fed’s rate decision in the context of the turmoil triggered by the collapse of SVB Financial Group.The SVB fallout is “really throwing a wrench in Jay Powell’s game plan,” he said.But Gundlach also acknowledged the possibility that the US Federal Reserve may not raise rates, adding that it was a “kind of a coin flip right now” in terms of what the market was pricing in.