Fed's Barkin (2026 voter) says today the economy has two engines: AI and the rich; hard to put weight on data in past three months

Fed's Barkin (2026 voter) says today the economy has two engines: AI and the rich; hard to put weight on data in past three months.

Barkin's comments suggest a nuanced view of the economy, emphasizing dependency on emerging factors like AI and wealth concentration rather than traditional data metrics. This can signal a potential caution from the Fed regarding rate policy, indicating they might look past recent data volatility and consider broader, structural trends. Consequently, this could shift market expectations for future rate adjustments and influence sentiment across USD and fixed income markets.