# Fed’s Waller Weighs December Rate Hike—and a Bigger Move if Inflation Stays Hot

- Link: https://tectonicsmediapublications.com/feds-waller-weighs-december-rate-hike-and-a-bigger-move-if-inflation-stays-hot/
- Published: 2026-11-10T12:01:53+00:00
- Author: News Team

**November 10, 2026.** Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller says he is leaning
toward supporting a quarter-percentage-point interest-rate increase at the central
bank’s December meeting—even if October inflation moderates as he expects. He also
says a larger, half-point move should be considered if core consumer-price inflation
remains around 0.3% or higher for the month.

Speaking at a conference in London, Waller described an economy still growing solidly
and a labor market near its longer-run level, but argued that inflation remains 
too high. His assessment places unusual emphasis on the breadth of price increases,
including possible knock-on effects from energy costs and demand associated with
artificial-intelligence infrastructure.

## What is decided—and what is not

Waller’s remarks express _one policymaker’s conditional preference_, not a Federal
Open Market Committee decision. The next scheduled meeting is December 8–9. His 
25-basis-point scenario assumes incoming data develop as he expects; the 50-basis-
point scenario depends on a hotter inflation reading. Neither outcome is guaranteed.

## Why the distinction matters

For borrowers, businesses and financial markets, a central banker openly contemplating
a larger increase signals concern about inflation persistence. But the size of a
future move depends on fresh data and the committee’s collective judgment. Treating
Waller’s conditional remarks as an announced rate increase would misstate the news.

**Primary source:** [Federal Reserve Board, Governor Waller’s November 10 speech](https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/waller20261110a.htm).**
Independent reporting:** [Reuters, November 10](https://www.reuters.com/business/feds-waller-plans-support-least-quarter-point-rate-hike-december-2026-11-10/).

Please follow and like us:

[[

[ ⌊fb-share-icon⌉](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftectonicsmediapublications.com%2Ffeds-waller-weighs-december-rate-hike-and-a-bigger-move-if-inflation-stays-hot%2F)

[ ⌊Tweet⌉ ](https://x.com/intent/post?text=Fed%E2%80%99s+Waller+Weighs+December+Rate+Hike%E2%80%94and+a+Bigger+Move+if+Inflation+Stays+Hot%20https%3A%2F%2Ftectonicsmediapublications.com%2Ffeds-waller-weighs-december-rate-hike-and-a-bigger-move-if-inflation-stays-hot%2F)

[⌊Pin Share⌉⌊Pin Share⌉[

 Share via:

 *  [   Facebook  ](https://tectonicsmediapublications.com/feds-waller-weighs-december-rate-hike-and-a-bigger-move-if-inflation-stays-hot/#)
 *  [   X (Twitter)  ](https://tectonicsmediapublications.com/feds-waller-weighs-december-rate-hike-and-a-bigger-move-if-inflation-stays-hot/#)
 *  [   LinkedIn  ](https://tectonicsmediapublications.com/feds-waller-weighs-december-rate-hike-and-a-bigger-move-if-inflation-stays-hot/#)
 *  [    More   ](https://tectonicsmediapublications.com/feds-waller-weighs-december-rate-hike-and-a-bigger-move-if-inflation-stays-hot/#)