The Consumer Sentiment Index in the United States improved by 1.6% in February compared to the previous month, reaching 57.3, which came in above analysts' expectations, according ...

Thank you, Wendy, for the kind introduction. It is an honor to speak at the Brookings Institution. Today, I will start by sharing my outlook for the economy. Then, I will discuss the possible implications of that outlook for the path of monetary policy. Next, I will turn to the subject matter of this conference and discuss supply-side inflation dynamics. After my remarks, I look forward to our discussion. At the start of this year, I am cautiously optimistic about the economic outlook. I see signs suggesting that the labor market is stabilizing, that inflation can return to a path toward our 2 percent objective, and that sustainable economic growth will continue. To be sure, there are risks to both sides of the dual mandate, given to us by Congress, of maximum employment and stable prices. Incoming data bear careful watching. FED'S JEFFERSON SAYS HE SUPPORTED LAST YEAR’S INTEREST RATE CUTS, POLICY ROUGHLY IN NEUTRAL STANCE FED'S JEFFERSON: JOB MARKET SOFTER ON REDUCED DEMAND, IMMIGRATION ISSUES