Just three weeks ago, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell spoke to reporters after the central bank had kept its key interest rate unchanged for a fifth straight meeting and said the job market was “solid.

This year’s summit carries additional weight: it will be Powell’s last appearance at Jackson Hole as Fed chair before his term ends in May 2026. It also comes at a time of mounting pressure from both Wall Street and the White House, as President Donald Trump continues to push the central bank to align with his tariff-driven economic agenda.

Wall Street will be listening closely to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech Friday at the Jackson Hole economic policy summit, where he could signal whether the central bank is ready to cut borrowing costs at its next meeting in September.