{"id":468231,"date":"2026-05-05T13:17:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T11:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/the-federal-reserve-holds-interest-rates-steady-amid-an-increasingly-fragile-macroeconomic-balance\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T13:17:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T11:17:39","slug":"the-federal-reserve-holds-interest-rates-steady-amid-an-increasingly-fragile-macroeconomic-balance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/en\/the-federal-reserve-holds-interest-rates-steady-amid-an-increasingly-fragile-macroeconomic-balance\/","title":{"rendered":"The Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady amid an increasingly fragile macroeconomic balance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" _builder_version=\"4.27.5\" _module_preset=\"default\" background_color=\"#F4F4F4\" background_image=\"https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dolares.jpg\" background_position=\"center_left\" height=\"100px\" custom_margin=\"0px||20px||false|false\" custom_padding=\"0px||0px||true|false\" custom_css_main_element=\"min-height: 343px;||display: flex;||align-items: flex-end;\" locked=\"off\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row column_structure=\"3_5,2_5\" _builder_version=\"4.25.1\" _module_preset=\"default\" custom_margin=\"0px||0px||true|false\" custom_padding=\"0px||0px||true|false\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"3_5\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" background_color=\"#ffffff\" custom_padding=\"35px||0px||false|false\" box_shadow_style=\"preset1\" box_shadow_horizontal=\"-240px\" box_shadow_vertical=\"0px\" box_shadow_blur=\"0px\" box_shadow_color=\"#ffffff\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_post_title meta=\"off\" featured_image=\"off\" admin_label=\"T\u00edtulo de publicaci\u00f3n\" _builder_version=\"4.20.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" title_font_size=\"38px\" title_line_height=\"1.3em\" width=\"80%\" module_alignment=\"left\" custom_margin=\"||15px||false|false\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_post_title title=\"off\" author=\"off\" categories=\"off\" comments=\"off\" featured_image=\"off\" admin_label=\"Fecha de publicaci\u00f3n\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" title_font=\"||||||||\" meta_font=\"|||on|||||\" meta_font_size=\"12px\" custom_margin=\"||0px||false|false\" locked=\"off\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_post_title title=\"off\" author=\"off\" date=\"off\" comments=\"off\" featured_image=\"off\" admin_label=\"Categor\u00edas de publicaci\u00f3n\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" meta_text_color=\"#9a9a9a\" meta_font_size=\"16px\" locked=\"off\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_post_title][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\"2_5\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" custom_padding=\"0px||0px||true|false\" locked=\"off\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row column_structure=\"1_4,3_4\" _builder_version=\"4.25.1\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"1_4\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_blurb title=\"Redacci\u00f3n Mapfre\" image=\"https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/media\/2021\/01\/redaccion-mapfre.jpeg\" alt=\"Redacci\u00f3n Mapfre\" icon_placement=\"left\" admin_label=\"Redacci\u00f3n Mapfre\" module_class=\"staff_blurb_image\" _builder_version=\"4.23\" header_font=\"|600|||||||\" header_text_color=\"#2d373d\" header_font_size=\"17px\" body_text_color=\"#526570\" body_font_size=\"14px\" body_line_height=\"1.5em\" max_width_tablet=\"\" max_width_phone=\"\" max_width_last_edited=\"on|tablet\" hover_transition_delay=\"100ms\" hover_transition_speed_curve=\"linear\" custom_css_blurb_content=\"color:\" border_radii_image=\"on|50px|50px|50px|50px\" global_module=\"402926\" locked=\"off\" global_colors_info=\"{}\" header_text_color__hover_enabled=\"off|desktop\" custom_css_blurb_title__hover_enabled=\"on|hover\" custom_css_blurb_content__hover_enabled=\"on|hover\" custom_css_blurb_content__hover=\"color: #d81e04;\"]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 15px !important; height: 15px !important; margin-right: 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/media\/2021\/05\/icon-twitter-e1620987091233.png\" alt=\"Twitter icon\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.mapfre.com\/contents\/lib\/mapfre-com\/includes\/modules\/Author\/images\/icon-twitter.png\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mapfreinvests\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Mapfre<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_divider show_divider=\"off\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" background_color=\"#D81E04\" width=\"107px\" max_height=\"5px\" custom_margin=\"20px||20px||true|false\" custom_padding=\"||||false|false\" locked=\"off\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\"3_4\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_text content_tablet=\"<\/p>\n<p><strong>Eduardo Garc\u00eda Castro, economista experto de Mapfre Economics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>La Reserva Federal de los Estados Unidos (Fed) decidi\u00f3 mantener sin cambios los tipos de inter\u00e9s en la que, previsiblemente, <strong>fue la \u00faltima reuni\u00f3n presidida por Jerome Powell<\/strong>. Esta decisi\u00f3n se apoy\u00f3 en un equilibrio de riesgos complejo y cada vez m\u00e1s estrecho entre crecimiento econ\u00f3mico, inflaci\u00f3n y entorno externo.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Se trata de un contexto que no permite reflejar un escenario de normalizaci\u00f3n, sino la necesidad de ganar tiempo en una fase del ciclo en la que los distintos componentes de la macroeconom\u00eda env\u00edan se\u00f1ales divergentes y donde el margen de error de la pol\u00edtica monetaria est\u00e1 acotado por la geopol\u00edtica.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Por lo que se refiere a la actividad econ\u00f3mica, la informaci\u00f3n m\u00e1s reciente arroja la imagen de una econom\u00eda estadounidense que sigue creciendo, pero <strong>con un deterioro progresivo en la calidad del crecimiento<\/strong>. Los \u00faltimos indicadores adelantados de actividad (PMI e ISM) contin\u00faan situ\u00e1ndose en niveles compatibles con la expansi\u00f3n, aunque con una se\u00f1al cada vez m\u00e1s clara de moderaci\u00f3n en los nuevos pedidos, mayor cautela empresarial y cierta p\u00e9rdida de tracci\u00f3n en el empleo, especialmente en las manufacturas, mientras que los servicios muestran que mantienen los niveles de actividad m\u00e1s por inercia y traspaso de costes que por un fortalecimiento de la demanda final (v\u00e9ase la Gr\u00e1fica 1).<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Este patr\u00f3n es coherente con los \u00faltimos datos de consumo y ventas minoristas, los cuales muestran un crecimiento nominal a\u00fan s\u00f3lido, pero crecientemente concentrado en gasto esencial y defensivo, apoyado en parte por un impulso fiscal todav\u00eda relevante y por precios elevados, m\u00e1s que por una mejora genuina de la renta real.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: center;%22><strong>Gr\u00e1fica 1. Estados Unidos: PMI e ISM<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img class=%22wp-image-468196 size-full aligncenter%22 src=%22https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril1.jpg%22 alt=%22%22 width=%221670%22 height=%221324%22 \/><\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: center;%22>Fuente: MAPFRE Economics (con datos de Bloomberg)<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>De hecho, las se\u00f1ales mixtas sobre el sentimiento de consumidor de las diferentes encuestas (Conference Board y Universidad de Michigan) refuerzan la perspectiva de <strong>un consumidor que aguanta en el corto plazo, respaldado por el empleo y los amortiguadores fiscales, pero cuya confianza sobre el futuro contin\u00faa deterior\u00e1ndose<\/strong> bajo el impacto de los mayores costes energ\u00e9ticos y de la incertidumbre geopol\u00edtica.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>En el mercado laboral, los \u00faltimos datos confirman un escenario de una expansi\u00f3n econ\u00f3mica con menor intensidad de creaci\u00f3n de empleo (job\u2011light). Tanto el informe nacional de empleo de ADP como las \u00faltimas n\u00f3minas siguen mostrando crecimiento, pero a un ritmo m\u00e1s moderado, mientras que otros indicadores (vacantes, encuestas empresariales y crecimiento salarial) se\u00f1alan un mercado menos tensionado, lo que se refleja en una tasa de desempleo que ha dejado de mejorar.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Por el lado de la inflaci\u00f3n, el dato de marzo repunt\u00f3 hasta el 3,3% a\/a, confirmando que <strong>el proceso desinflacionario ha perdido tracci\u00f3n<\/strong>, pero tambi\u00e9n que ciertos componentes se ubican en entorno m\u00e1s contenido e irregular. Mientras que gran parte el impulso provino del componente energ\u00e9tico y partidas intensivas en el uso de combustibles y log\u00edstica, el proceso de desinflaci\u00f3n en vivienda y en el n\u00facleo de servicios mostr\u00f3 cierta estabilizaci\u00f3n (v\u00e9ase la Gr\u00e1fica 2).<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Esta configuraci\u00f3n es coherente con la din\u00e1mica macroecon\u00f3mica subyacente antes mencionada y expone que una desaceleraci\u00f3n gradual de la actividad puede aliviar parcialmente la presi\u00f3n por el lado de la demanda, sin embargo, no es suficiente para neutralizar las presiones de oferta. La lectura, por tanto, refuerza la idea de una inflaci\u00f3n que responde menos al ciclo de la econom\u00eda y m\u00e1s al encarecimiento del coste efectivo de la energ\u00eda y a la duraci\u00f3n del shock, complicando la senda de convergencia y manteniendo abierto el balance de riesgos.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Todo ello ocurre, adem\u00e1s, de <strong>un entorno geopol\u00edtico que sigue endureciendo el escenario central y dotando de mayor probabilidad a los escenarios alternativos<\/strong>, tal como se avanza en nuestro informe <a href=%22https:\/\/documentacion.fundacionmapfre.org\/documentacion\/publico\/es\/media\/group\/1131930.do%22>Panorama econ\u00f3mico y sectorial 2026: actualizaci\u00f3n de previsiones hacia el segundo trimestre.<\/a> Por tanto, la decisi\u00f3n de la Reserva Federal refleja una fase del ciclo en la que no existe una se\u00f1al dominante, sino una coexistencia inc\u00f3moda de expansi\u00f3n moderada, inflaci\u00f3n persistente y amortiguadores que siguen funcionando, pero con eficacia decreciente. En este marco, pausar los tipos de inter\u00e9s no es tanto una se\u00f1al de control, sino de prudencia ante un equilibrio macroecon\u00f3mico cada vez m\u00e1s fr\u00e1gil.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: center;%22><strong>Gr\u00e1fica 2. Estados Unidos: inflaci\u00f3n por componentes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img class=%22alignnone wp-image-468198 size-full%22 src=%22https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril2.png%22 alt=%22%22 width=%221696%22 height=%221592%22 \/><\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: center;%22>Fuente: MAPFRE Economics (con datos de Bloomberg)<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 style=%22text-align: left;%22>La herencia institucional y la visi\u00f3n de Kevin Warsh<\/h3>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>La sucesi\u00f3n en la presidencia de la Reserva Federal de los Estados Unidos se produce en un momento en el que el marco de actuaci\u00f3n del banco central <strong>se encuentra especialmente tensionado<\/strong>, no tanto por un error acumulado de pol\u00edtica econ\u00f3mica, como por la transformaci\u00f3n del entorno macroecon\u00f3mico y geopol\u00edtico en el que debe operar. En este sentido, la herencia que recibe Kevin Warsh es la de una instituci\u00f3n enfrentada a una inflaci\u00f3n de oferta, fricciones geopol\u00edticas estructurales y una relaci\u00f3n cada vez menos estable entre actividad econ\u00f3mica y precios; elementos que cuestionan la eficacia tradicional de la pol\u00edtica monetaria.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>En este sentido, la visi\u00f3n de K. Warsh, tal y como se desprende de sus escritos y de su reciente audiencia en el Senado, parte de la premisa central de que <strong>la pol\u00edtica monetaria no puede sustituir a otras pol\u00edticas econ\u00f3micas, ni corregir desequilibrios de origen estructural o geopol\u00edtico.<\/strong> Por tanto, su enfoque no busca ampliar el papel de la Reserva Federal, sino a su reafirmaci\u00f3n, subrayando la centralidad de la estabilidad de precios, la independencia institucional y una delimitaci\u00f3n rigurosa del uso de las herramientas disponibles.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Si bien es cierto que el hecho de que Warsh sea el candidato respaldado por el presidente Donald Trump introduce una tensi\u00f3n evidente entre nombramiento pol\u00edtico e independencia institucional, esa tensi\u00f3n es coherente con su propia visi\u00f3n de la Reserva Federal. De hecho, Warsh no niega el origen pol\u00edtico del liderazgo del banco central, al contrario, lo reconoce abiertamente. Por ello, su \u00e9nfasis se sit\u00faa en la perspectiva de que preservar la independencia no implica reacci\u00f3n autom\u00e1tica a las prioridades del Ejecutivo, sino la capacidad de resistir la tentaci\u00f3n de utilizar la pol\u00edtica monetaria para compensar desequilibrios fiscales, energ\u00e9ticos o geopol\u00edticos.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>En ese sentido, la coincidencia con la agenda pol\u00edtica del gobierno no estar\u00eda enfocada tanto en los objetivos de corto plazo, sino en una cr\u00edtica compartida a la sobreextensi\u00f3n del banco central durante la \u00faltima d\u00e9cada, y que conecta directamente con la herencia que recibe. Por un lado, la inflaci\u00f3n a la que se enfrenta la econom\u00eda estadounidense no se corrige de forma autom\u00e1tica mediante el enfriamiento c\u00edclico, y, por otro lado, el crecimiento econ\u00f3mico no se puede sostener bajo el paraguas de amortiguadores fiscales temporales. Por tanto, el desaf\u00edo que se le presenta no es tanto el elegir entre endurecer o relajar la pol\u00edtica, sino el de <strong>gestionar un marco en el que el binomio actividad\u2011precios deja de ofrecer una se\u00f1al limpia.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Esta visi\u00f3n explica tambi\u00e9n por qu\u00e9 K. Warsh ha insistido en la necesidad de evitar que la Reserva Federal quede impl\u00edcitamente subordinada a la estabilizaci\u00f3n de corto plazo de la actividad econ\u00f3mica o a la financiaci\u00f3n del ciclo, as\u00ed como una actitud cr\u00edtica hacia el uso actual de los indicadores de inflaci\u00f3n como gu\u00eda casi autom\u00e1tica de la pol\u00edtica monetaria De hecho, su planteamiento no cuestiona el objetivo de estabilidad de precios, sino el desajuste entre la inflaci\u00f3n que se mide y la inflaci\u00f3n que la pol\u00edtica monetaria puede corregir.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>En un entorno en el que una parte significativa de las presiones de precios proviene de energ\u00eda, log\u00edstica, vivienda y otros factores condicionados por la geopol\u00edtica y la oferta f\u00edsica, reaccionar de forma sim\u00e9trica con tipos de inter\u00e9s implica asumir costes macroecon\u00f3micos sin garantizar una desinflaci\u00f3n efectiva. Desde esta perspectiva, refinar la forma en que se interpreta la inflaci\u00f3n no es una concesi\u00f3n pol\u00edtica, sino una exigencia de coherencia institucional: medir mejor para reaccionar mejor y evitar que la pol\u00edtica monetaria se convierta en el instrumento por defecto para absorber shocks que no est\u00e1n bajo su control.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Del mismo modo, una gesti\u00f3n m\u00e1s disciplinada de herramientas, como el balance, implicar\u00eda aceptar costes de corto plazo a cambio de mayor claridad institucional. Por tanto, su enfoque apunta a una Reserva Federal menos inclinada a compensar todas las fricciones del sistema y m\u00e1s centrada en preservar la coherencia del marco institucional, reconociendo que, en el entorno actual, la pol\u00edtica monetaria no puede resolver por s\u00ed sola las tensiones heredadas, pero s\u00ed evitar amplificarlas.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 style=%22text-align: left;%22>A manera de conclusi\u00f3n<\/h3>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>La decisi\u00f3n de la Reserva Federal de mantener los tipos de inter\u00e9s no puede interpretarse como un simple comp\u00e1s de espera, sino como el <strong>reflejo de un equilibrio macroecon\u00f3mico en el que crecimiento, inflaci\u00f3n y geopol\u00edtica han dejado de enviar se\u00f1ales coherentes para una reacci\u00f3n monetaria convencional.<\/strong> Ni endurecer ni relajar la postura garantizan una mejora clara del binomio actividad\u2011precios, lo que obliga a la Reserva Federal a priorizar prudencia, coherencia y preservaci\u00f3n del marco institucional frente a respuestas t\u00e1cticas de corto plazo.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Es precisamente en este contexto en el que se produce la llegada de K. Warsh, cuyo planteamiento apunta a reforzar la claridad del mandato y a evitar que la Reserva Federal asuma tareas que exceden su capacidad real de actuaci\u00f3n. Por tanto, y de cara al futuro, el principal desaf\u00edo ser\u00e1 el de aplicar esta disciplina en un contexto pol\u00edticamente exigente, con inflaci\u00f3n menos d\u00f3cil y menor tolerancia social al coste del ajuste. Preservar la credibilidad del banco central exigir\u00e1 aceptar que la normalizaci\u00f3n no es autom\u00e1tica y que la pol\u00edtica monetaria, aunque sigue siendo central, ya no puede por s\u00ed sola resolver las tensiones heredadas. En este escenario, la solidez del marco institucional y la claridad del mandato probablemente pesar\u00e1n m\u00e1s que la velocidad de los ajustes.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>\" content_phone=\"<\/p>\n<p><strong>Eduardo Garc\u00eda Castro, economista experto de Mapfre Economics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>La Reserva Federal de los Estados Unidos (Fed) decidi\u00f3 mantener sin cambios los tipos de inter\u00e9s en la que, previsiblemente, <strong>fue la \u00faltima reuni\u00f3n presidida por Jerome Powell<\/strong>. Esta decisi\u00f3n se apoy\u00f3 en un equilibrio de riesgos complejo y cada vez m\u00e1s estrecho entre crecimiento econ\u00f3mico, inflaci\u00f3n y entorno externo.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Se trata de un contexto que no permite reflejar un escenario de normalizaci\u00f3n, sino la necesidad de ganar tiempo en una fase del ciclo en la que los distintos componentes de la macroeconom\u00eda env\u00edan se\u00f1ales divergentes y donde el margen de error de la pol\u00edtica monetaria est\u00e1 acotado por la geopol\u00edtica.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Por lo que se refiere a la actividad econ\u00f3mica, la informaci\u00f3n m\u00e1s reciente arroja la imagen de una econom\u00eda estadounidense que sigue creciendo, pero <strong>con un deterioro progresivo en la calidad del crecimiento<\/strong>. Los \u00faltimos indicadores adelantados de actividad (PMI e ISM) contin\u00faan situ\u00e1ndose en niveles compatibles con la expansi\u00f3n, aunque con una se\u00f1al cada vez m\u00e1s clara de moderaci\u00f3n en los nuevos pedidos, mayor cautela empresarial y cierta p\u00e9rdida de tracci\u00f3n en el empleo, especialmente en las manufacturas, mientras que los servicios muestran que mantienen los niveles de actividad m\u00e1s por inercia y traspaso de costes que por un fortalecimiento de la demanda final (v\u00e9ase la Gr\u00e1fica 1).<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Este patr\u00f3n es coherente con los \u00faltimos datos de consumo y ventas minoristas, los cuales muestran un crecimiento nominal a\u00fan s\u00f3lido, pero crecientemente concentrado en gasto esencial y defensivo, apoyado en parte por un impulso fiscal todav\u00eda relevante y por precios elevados, m\u00e1s que por una mejora genuina de la renta real.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: center;%22><strong>Gr\u00e1fica 1. Estados Unidos: PMI e ISM<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img class=%22wp-image-468196 size-full aligncenter%22 src=%22https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril1.jpg%22 alt=%22%22 width=%221670%22 height=%221324%22 \/><\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: center;%22>Fuente: MAPFRE Economics (con datos de Bloomberg)<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>De hecho, las se\u00f1ales mixtas sobre el sentimiento de consumidor de las diferentes encuestas (Conference Board y Universidad de Michigan) refuerzan la perspectiva de <strong>un consumidor que aguanta en el corto plazo, respaldado por el empleo y los amortiguadores fiscales, pero cuya confianza sobre el futuro contin\u00faa deterior\u00e1ndose<\/strong> bajo el impacto de los mayores costes energ\u00e9ticos y de la incertidumbre geopol\u00edtica.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>En el mercado laboral, los \u00faltimos datos confirman un escenario de una expansi\u00f3n econ\u00f3mica con menor intensidad de creaci\u00f3n de empleo (job\u2011light). Tanto el informe nacional de empleo de ADP como las \u00faltimas n\u00f3minas siguen mostrando crecimiento, pero a un ritmo m\u00e1s moderado, mientras que otros indicadores (vacantes, encuestas empresariales y crecimiento salarial) se\u00f1alan un mercado menos tensionado, lo que se refleja en una tasa de desempleo que ha dejado de mejorar.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Por el lado de la inflaci\u00f3n, el dato de marzo repunt\u00f3 hasta el 3,3% a\/a, confirmando que <strong>el proceso desinflacionario ha perdido tracci\u00f3n<\/strong>, pero tambi\u00e9n que ciertos componentes se ubican en entorno m\u00e1s contenido e irregular. Mientras que gran parte el impulso provino del componente energ\u00e9tico y partidas intensivas en el uso de combustibles y log\u00edstica, el proceso de desinflaci\u00f3n en vivienda y en el n\u00facleo de servicios mostr\u00f3 cierta estabilizaci\u00f3n (v\u00e9ase la Gr\u00e1fica 2).<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Esta configuraci\u00f3n es coherente con la din\u00e1mica macroecon\u00f3mica subyacente antes mencionada y expone que una desaceleraci\u00f3n gradual de la actividad puede aliviar parcialmente la presi\u00f3n por el lado de la demanda, sin embargo, no es suficiente para neutralizar las presiones de oferta. La lectura, por tanto, refuerza la idea de una inflaci\u00f3n que responde menos al ciclo de la econom\u00eda y m\u00e1s al encarecimiento del coste efectivo de la energ\u00eda y a la duraci\u00f3n del shock, complicando la senda de convergencia y manteniendo abierto el balance de riesgos.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Todo ello ocurre, adem\u00e1s, de <strong>un entorno geopol\u00edtico que sigue endureciendo el escenario central y dotando de mayor probabilidad a los escenarios alternativos<\/strong>, tal como se avanza en nuestro informe <a href=%22https:\/\/documentacion.fundacionmapfre.org\/documentacion\/publico\/es\/media\/group\/1131930.do%22>Panorama econ\u00f3mico y sectorial 2026: actualizaci\u00f3n de previsiones hacia el segundo trimestre.<\/a> Por tanto, la decisi\u00f3n de la Reserva Federal refleja una fase del ciclo en la que no existe una se\u00f1al dominante, sino una coexistencia inc\u00f3moda de expansi\u00f3n moderada, inflaci\u00f3n persistente y amortiguadores que siguen funcionando, pero con eficacia decreciente. En este marco, pausar los tipos de inter\u00e9s no es tanto una se\u00f1al de control, sino de prudencia ante un equilibrio macroecon\u00f3mico cada vez m\u00e1s fr\u00e1gil.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: center;%22><strong>Gr\u00e1fica 2. Estados Unidos: inflaci\u00f3n por componentes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img class=%22alignnone wp-image-468198 size-full%22 src=%22https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril2.png%22 alt=%22%22 width=%221696%22 height=%221592%22 \/><\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: center;%22>Fuente: MAPFRE Economics (con datos de Bloomberg)<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 style=%22text-align: left;%22>La herencia institucional y la visi\u00f3n de Kevin Warsh<\/h3>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>La sucesi\u00f3n en la presidencia de la Reserva Federal de los Estados Unidos se produce en un momento en el que el marco de actuaci\u00f3n del banco central <strong>se encuentra especialmente tensionado<\/strong>, no tanto por un error acumulado de pol\u00edtica econ\u00f3mica, como por la transformaci\u00f3n del entorno macroecon\u00f3mico y geopol\u00edtico en el que debe operar. En este sentido, la herencia que recibe Kevin Warsh es la de una instituci\u00f3n enfrentada a una inflaci\u00f3n de oferta, fricciones geopol\u00edticas estructurales y una relaci\u00f3n cada vez menos estable entre actividad econ\u00f3mica y precios; elementos que cuestionan la eficacia tradicional de la pol\u00edtica monetaria.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>En este sentido, la visi\u00f3n de K. Warsh, tal y como se desprende de sus escritos y de su reciente audiencia en el Senado, parte de la premisa central de que <strong>la pol\u00edtica monetaria no puede sustituir a otras pol\u00edticas econ\u00f3micas, ni corregir desequilibrios de origen estructural o geopol\u00edtico.<\/strong> Por tanto, su enfoque no busca ampliar el papel de la Reserva Federal, sino a su reafirmaci\u00f3n, subrayando la centralidad de la estabilidad de precios, la independencia institucional y una delimitaci\u00f3n rigurosa del uso de las herramientas disponibles.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Si bien es cierto que el hecho de que Warsh sea el candidato respaldado por el presidente Donald Trump introduce una tensi\u00f3n evidente entre nombramiento pol\u00edtico e independencia institucional, esa tensi\u00f3n es coherente con su propia visi\u00f3n de la Reserva Federal. De hecho, Warsh no niega el origen pol\u00edtico del liderazgo del banco central, al contrario, lo reconoce abiertamente. Por ello, su \u00e9nfasis se sit\u00faa en la perspectiva de que preservar la independencia no implica reacci\u00f3n autom\u00e1tica a las prioridades del Ejecutivo, sino la capacidad de resistir la tentaci\u00f3n de utilizar la pol\u00edtica monetaria para compensar desequilibrios fiscales, energ\u00e9ticos o geopol\u00edticos.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>En ese sentido, la coincidencia con la agenda pol\u00edtica del gobierno no estar\u00eda enfocada tanto en los objetivos de corto plazo, sino en una cr\u00edtica compartida a la sobreextensi\u00f3n del banco central durante la \u00faltima d\u00e9cada, y que conecta directamente con la herencia que recibe. Por un lado, la inflaci\u00f3n a la que se enfrenta la econom\u00eda estadounidense no se corrige de forma autom\u00e1tica mediante el enfriamiento c\u00edclico, y, por otro lado, el crecimiento econ\u00f3mico no se puede sostener bajo el paraguas de amortiguadores fiscales temporales. Por tanto, el desaf\u00edo que se le presenta no es tanto el elegir entre endurecer o relajar la pol\u00edtica, sino el de <strong>gestionar un marco en el que el binomio actividad\u2011precios deja de ofrecer una se\u00f1al limpia.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Esta visi\u00f3n explica tambi\u00e9n por qu\u00e9 K. Warsh ha insistido en la necesidad de evitar que la Reserva Federal quede impl\u00edcitamente subordinada a la estabilizaci\u00f3n de corto plazo de la actividad econ\u00f3mica o a la financiaci\u00f3n del ciclo, as\u00ed como una actitud cr\u00edtica hacia el uso actual de los indicadores de inflaci\u00f3n como gu\u00eda casi autom\u00e1tica de la pol\u00edtica monetaria De hecho, su planteamiento no cuestiona el objetivo de estabilidad de precios, sino el desajuste entre la inflaci\u00f3n que se mide y la inflaci\u00f3n que la pol\u00edtica monetaria puede corregir.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>En un entorno en el que una parte significativa de las presiones de precios proviene de energ\u00eda, log\u00edstica, vivienda y otros factores condicionados por la geopol\u00edtica y la oferta f\u00edsica, reaccionar de forma sim\u00e9trica con tipos de inter\u00e9s implica asumir costes macroecon\u00f3micos sin garantizar una desinflaci\u00f3n efectiva. Desde esta perspectiva, refinar la forma en que se interpreta la inflaci\u00f3n no es una concesi\u00f3n pol\u00edtica, sino una exigencia de coherencia institucional: medir mejor para reaccionar mejor y evitar que la pol\u00edtica monetaria se convierta en el instrumento por defecto para absorber shocks que no est\u00e1n bajo su control.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Del mismo modo, una gesti\u00f3n m\u00e1s disciplinada de herramientas, como el balance, implicar\u00eda aceptar costes de corto plazo a cambio de mayor claridad institucional. Por tanto, su enfoque apunta a una Reserva Federal menos inclinada a compensar todas las fricciones del sistema y m\u00e1s centrada en preservar la coherencia del marco institucional, reconociendo que, en el entorno actual, la pol\u00edtica monetaria no puede resolver por s\u00ed sola las tensiones heredadas, pero s\u00ed evitar amplificarlas.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 style=%22text-align: left;%22>A manera de conclusi\u00f3n<\/h3>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>La decisi\u00f3n de la Reserva Federal de mantener los tipos de inter\u00e9s no puede interpretarse como un simple comp\u00e1s de espera, sino como el <strong>reflejo de un equilibrio macroecon\u00f3mico en el que crecimiento, inflaci\u00f3n y geopol\u00edtica han dejado de enviar se\u00f1ales coherentes para una reacci\u00f3n monetaria convencional.<\/strong> Ni endurecer ni relajar la postura garantizan una mejora clara del binomio actividad\u2011precios, lo que obliga a la Reserva Federal a priorizar prudencia, coherencia y preservaci\u00f3n del marco institucional frente a respuestas t\u00e1cticas de corto plazo.<\/p>\n<p style=%22text-align: left;%22>Es precisamente en este contexto en el que se produce la llegada de K. Warsh, cuyo planteamiento apunta a reforzar la claridad del mandato y a evitar que la Reserva Federal asuma tareas que exceden su capacidad real de actuaci\u00f3n. Por tanto, y de cara al futuro, el principal desaf\u00edo ser\u00e1 el de aplicar esta disciplina en un contexto pol\u00edticamente exigente, con inflaci\u00f3n menos d\u00f3cil y menor tolerancia social al coste del ajuste. Preservar la credibilidad del banco central exigir\u00e1 aceptar que la normalizaci\u00f3n no es autom\u00e1tica y que la pol\u00edtica monetaria, aunque sigue siendo central, ya no puede por s\u00ed sola resolver las tensiones heredadas. En este escenario, la solidez del marco institucional y la claridad del mandato probablemente pesar\u00e1n m\u00e1s que la velocidad de los ajustes.<\/p>\n<p>\" content_last_edited=\"on|phone\" admin_label=\"Content\" _builder_version=\"4.27.5\" _module_preset=\"default\" text_font=\"Open Sans||||||||\" text_text_color=\"#2D373D\" text_orientation=\"justified\" width=\"%22568%22\" height=\"%22476%22\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Eduardo Garc\u00eda Castro, expert economist at Mapfre Economics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The United States Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rates unchanged at what was likely <strong>the last meeting chaired by Jerome Powell<\/strong>. This decision was supported by a complex and increasingly narrow balance of risks between economic growth, inflation, and the external environment.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>This is a context that does not support a scenario of normalization. Instead, there is a need to buy time during a phase of the cycle in which different macroeconomic components are sending divergent signals, and where the geopolitical situation is narrowing the margin for monetary policy error.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>With regard to economic activity, the latest data portrays a U.S. economy that continues to grow, but <strong>with a progressive decline in the quality of that growth<\/strong>. The latest leading indicators of activity (ISM and PMI) remain at levels consistent with expansion, although there are increasingly clear signs of moderation in new orders, greater business caution, and a certain loss of momen-tum for employment, especially in manufacturing. Meanwhile, services show that activity levels are being sustained more by inertia and cost passthrough than by a strengthening in final demand (see Chart 1).<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>This pattern is consistent with the latest consumer and retail sales data, with nominal growth remaining solid. However, that growth is increasingly concentrated in essential and defensive spending, and supported in part by still-relevant fiscal stimulus and elevated prices, rather than by a genuine improvement in real income.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Chart 1. United States: ISM and PMI data<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-468196 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1670\" height=\"1324\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril1.jpg 1670w, https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril1-1280x1015.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril1-980x777.jpg 980w, https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril1-480x381.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 1670px, 100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Source: Mapfre Economics (based on Bloomberg data)<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>In fact, the mixed signals coming from various consumer sentiment surveys (Conference Board and University of Michigan) reflect a situation in which <strong>consumers are able to hold up in the short term\u2014supported by employment and fiscal buffers\u2014while confidence about the future continues to decline<\/strong> due to the impact of higher energy costs and geopolitical uncertainty.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>In the labor market, the latest data confirms a scenario of economic expansion with lower intensity of job creation (\u201cjob-light\u201d). Both the ADP National Employment Report and the latest payroll data continue to show growth, but at a more moderate pace, while other indicators (job vacancies, company surveys, wage growth) point to a less tight labor market, reflecting an unemployment rate that is no longer improving.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>With regard to inflation, March data indicates a rebound to 3.3% YoY, confirming that <strong>the disinflation process has lost traction<\/strong>, with some components now operating in a more constrained and uneven environment. While most of this increase has been driven by the energy component and the need for more intensive spending on fuel and logistics, the disinflation process has led to some degree of stabilization in housing and core services (see Chart 2).<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>This configuration is consistent with the underlying macroeconomic dynamics described above and suggests that, although a gradual slowdown in economic activity can partially ease demand-side pressures, it is not sufficient to offset supply-side pressures. This interpretation therefore supports the idea of a type of inflation that is influenced less by the economic cycle and more by the rising effective cost of energy and the persistence of the shock, which is disrupting the path toward convergence and keeping the balance of risks uncertain.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>In addition, all of this is taking place in <strong>a geopolitical context that continues to complicate the central scenario, while increasing the likelihood of alternative scenarios<\/strong>, as explained in our report entitled <a href=\"https:\/\/documentacion.fundacionmapfre.org\/documentacion\/publico\/es\/media\/group\/1131930.do\">2026 Economic and Industry Outlook: Second-Quarter Forecast Update<\/a>. What this means is that the Federal Reserve\u2019s decision reflects a phase of the cycle in which there is no dominant signal, but instead, an uncomfortable coexistence of moderate expansion, persistent inflation, and fiscal buffers that continue to operate, although with diminishing effectiveness. In this context, keeping interest rates unchanged is less a sign of control than of prudence, given the increasingly fragile macroeconomic balance.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Chart 2. United States: inflation by components<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-468198 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1696\" height=\"1592\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril2.png 1696w, https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril2-1280x1202.png 1280w, https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril2-980x920.png 980w, https:\/\/www.mapfream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fedabril2-480x451.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 1696px, 100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Source: Mapfre Economics (based on Bloomberg data)<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3>Institutional succession and the vision of Kevin Warsh<\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The appointment of a new Chair at the U.S. Federal Reserve is taking place at a time when the context for central bank action has become <strong>particularly strained<\/strong>\u2014not so much due to any cumulative policy error, but because the Fed must now operate within a transformed macroeconomic and geopolitical environment. Kevin Warsh will inherit an institution that is facing supply-side inflation, structural geopolitical friction, and an increasingly unstable relationship between economic activity and prices. These are all factors that call into question the traditional effectiveness of monetary policy.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>In this regard, Mr. Warsh\u2019s perspective, as reflected in his writings and his recent hearing before the U.S. Senate, is grounded in the central premise that <strong>monetary policy cannot serve as a substitute for other economic policies, nor can it correct imbalances of a structural or geopolitical nature<\/strong>. Accordingly, rather than seeking to expand the role of the Federal Reserve, he advocates reaffirming it, with a focus on the fundamental importance of price stability, institutional independence, and strict limits on use of the tools available.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Although the fact that Warsh is the candidate backed by Donald Trump has clearly introduced some tension between this polit-ical appointment and institutional independence, that tension is actually con-sistent with Warsh\u2019s own view of the Federal Reserve. Instead of denying that leadership of the central bank has a political origin, he openly acknowledges this. He stresses the idea that maintaining independence is not about automatically reacting to the priorities of the U.S. president, but rather having the capacity to resist the temptation to use monetary policy to offset fiscal, energy-related, or geopolitical imbalances.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>From this perspective, alignment with the government\u2019s political agenda would be less about short-term objectives and more about a shared critique of the central bank\u2019s overreach over the last decade, and this has a direct connection to the type of institution that Warsh will inherit. On one hand, the inflation facing the U.S. economy cannot be corrected automatically through cyclical cooling; on the other, economic growth cannot be sustained un-der the umbrella of temporary fiscal buffers. Therefore, the challenge that Warsh faces is not so much choosing between tightening or easing policy, but <strong>managing a framework in which the activity-price trade-off no longer provides a clear signal. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>This perspective also explains why Warsh has emphasized the need to prevent the Federal Reserve from becoming implicitly subordinated to short-term stabilization of economic activity or to financing of the cycle, as well as his critical stance toward the current use of inflation indicators as an almost automatic guide for monetary policy. In fact, his approach does not question the goal of price stability, but rather the mismatch between the inflation that is measured and the inflation that monetary policy can actually correct.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>In an environment where a significant share of price pressures derives from energy, logistics, housing, and other factors conditioned by geopolitics and physical supply, responding symmetrically with interest rates entails taking on macroeconomic costs without any guarantee of effective disinflation. From this point of view, redefining how inflation is interpreted is not a political concession, but an institutional requirement: better measurements lead to better reactions, while preventing the use of monetary policy as the default tool for absorbing shocks that are not actually under the Fed\u2019s control.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>In addition, more disciplined management of tools, such as the balance sheet, would involve an acceptance of short-term costs in exchange for better institutional clarity. Warsh\u2019s focus is therefore on creating a Federal Reserve that is less inclined to off-set all frictions in the system and more centered on preserving the coherence of its institutional framework, recognizing that in the current environment monetary policy cannot, on its own, resolve inherited ten-sions\u2014but it can avoid amplifying them.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates unchanged should not be interpreted as a simple pause, but rather as <strong>a reflection of a macroeconomic balance where growth, inflation, and geopolitics no longer provide coherent signals for a conventional monetary policy reaction<\/strong>. For the Federal Reserve, neither tightening nor easing guarantees a clear improvement in the activity\u2013price trade-off, and this gives rise to an obligation to priori-tize prudence, consistency, and the preservation of its institutional framework over short-term tactical responses.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>It is precisely in this context that Kevin Warsh takes office, with plans to focus on enhancing the clarity of the mandate and preventing the Federal Reserve from taking on tasks that go beyond its actual capabilities. Looking ahead, the main challenge will therefore be to apply this discipline in a politically demanding environment, with more volatile inflation and lower social tolerance for the costs of adjustment. Preserving the central bank\u2019s credibility will require accept-ing that normalization is not automatic, and that monetary policy, while still central, can no longer resolve inherited tensions on its own. In this scenario, the strength of the institutional framework and the clarity of the mandate will likely matter more than the speed of adjustments.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The United States Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rates unchanged at what was likely the last meeting chaired by Je-rome Powell. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":467656,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-468231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-markets-research"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mapfre 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