The Fed's semiannual Monetary Report was released Friday and really offered all the ammunition the Fed needs to begin lowering rates this month. The Fed is concerned that uncertainty over trade has constrained business spending and caused a slowdown in manufacturing. The Fed cautioned that growth in many advanced economies has slowed too. Not surprisingly, the report mentioned that the American financial system was in excellent shape as evidenced by recent stress tests.
The Fed report went on to discuss that inflation continues to run well below the Fed targets and that a certain amount