“影子主席”效应浮现？交易员大举押注鲍威尔卸任后美联储将迅速降息

Group 1 - U.S. interest rate traders are betting that the Federal Reserve will shift to a more dovish monetary policy after the current Chairman Jerome Powell's term ends in May 2026, with expectations of rate cuts as early as June 2026 [1] - The market anticipates that the Federal Reserve will maintain interest rates at its upcoming meeting and may lower its expectations for rate cuts this year due to upward pressure on prices from tariffs [1] - Traders are focusing on futures linked to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), which has seen a surge in trading volume following Trump's announcement of a forthcoming nomination for the next Fed Chair [1] Group 2 - The strategy for betting on interest rate futures includes shorting SOFR futures expiring in March 2026 while going long on those expiring in June 2026, creating a typical "three-month spread trade" [2] - On Monday, the trading volume for this strategy reached 108,649 contracts, with open interest for March and June contracts hitting the highest levels of the current policy cycle, indicating strong demand for this strategy [2] - The relative price of the March contract has weakened significantly compared to the December 2025 and June 2026 contracts, leading to the highest price spread since January [2] Group 3 - Analysts suggest that Trump may choose a successor who supports loose monetary policy, which could complicate the nomination process in Congress [5] - Concerns have been raised about the potential for a "shadow" Fed Chair if Trump nominates a successor before Powell's term ends, leading to mixed signals that could undermine market confidence in U.S. policy-making [5] - It is important to note that the Federal Reserve's monetary policy is collectively decided by the Federal Open Market Committee, and the Chair does not unilaterally set policy rates [5]