"As Liz Peek had mentioned recently in her op-ed, you know, this will present a speed bump to any of the Fed calculus that’s out there," CIO Peter Andersen told "Mornings with Maria" on Monday. "And as oil prices rise, certainly, you know, there is going to be an interpretation of that as inflation." The Peek-authored opinion piece he referenced was published Thursday by The Hill. On Monday afternoon, the Brent Crude came in at $90.64.
Andersen told host Maria Bartiromo the Fed is "not in an easy stroll" when it comes to deciding whether to cut, maintain or raise its benchmark interest rate. He said the "specter of higher oil prices" and other economic data like that in the recently released March jobs report could make the decision difficult for the U.S. central bank.