Fed’s rate hike calendar will be gradual: Experts

The markets are primed for a rate hike. So about 24 hours from the Fed’s decision, the question now becomes, how many rate rises are to come, and how often?

Bruce Bittles, chief investment strategist at R.W. Baird, told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Tuesday that he’ll be looking for the word “gradual.”

“[Fed Chair Janet Yellen] said that the first rate hike is not important, it’s what follows that’s really important for the markets,” he said. “I don’t think tomorrow’s going be as dramatic as it might have been but I do think the Fed will be very persistent in suggesting that future rate hikes will be slow and measured.”

Michelle Meyer, deputy head of U.S. economics at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Tuesday that factors like the minimum wage and inflation could influence the Fed’s 2016 rate hike calendar.

“Our view is that wages will be trending higher and that’s going to generate some higher inflationary pressure,” she said. “I don’t think you’re going to see a breakout in terms of inflation that’s going to prompt the Fed to abruptly adjust interest rates higher. I do think it’s going to be slow, but it’s important that it’s a cycle. It’s not a one and done or two and through.”
[“source -cncb”]