Global central bankers meet in Jackson Hole this week to reassess inflation and
the risk that renewed supply shocks could push borrowing costs higher. Thin Ice
Macro economist Spiros said policymakers will likely err on the side of caution,
treating inflation as the most feared risk because supply shocks can occur
unexpectedly. SOCGEN US head of research Subhadra Rajappa said countries’
exposure to energy-price swings differs with import dependence, leaving Europe
and Japan more sensitive to Middle East developments and oil. Goldman Sachs’
chief Europe economist said policy rates in the US and UK remain restrictive,
giving the Fed and Bank of England more time to observe how energy-driven shocks
evolve. Former Philadelphia Fed president Patrick Harker said the Iran war has
shifted policymakers’ framing and choices, and that the global economy is now
facing multiple simultaneous supply shocks.