In the press conference following the Fed’s decision to keep rates unchanged, Powell hesitated to guide toward a rate in the coming months. He struck a hawkish tone, according to a note by Bank of America’s macroeconomics team, putting a damper on investor hopes that the FOMC’s next meeting in September could bring a rate cut.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made it clear on Wednesday that the resilient U.S. labor market is currently the primary determinant of monetary policy, a signal that strong July employment figures could snuff out all bets for a September rate cut and reduce the likelihood of any further easing this year.