Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller said the central bank should lower its target interest rate now and execute a series of cuts in months ahead.

"Fed watchers will be parsing Powell's comments for signs that a 50bp rate cut is on the table for September," noted Lauren Saidel-Baker, an economist with ITR Economics. "However, the notoriously tight-lipped chair is unlikely to confirm this, making a 25bp cut the most likely outcome."

The number of leveraged positions in Treasury futures has risen to an all-time high ahead of the central bank's annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The figures, to be published Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, will probably show the consumer price index, and a "core" gauge excluding food and energy, both advanced 0.2% in July.

Many on Wall Street agree that an abrupt end to quantitative tightening, or QT, is unlikely, with policymakers signaling its rolloff of Treasury holdings will finish by year-end.

Policymakers also made several adjustments to the language of a statement released after their two-day meeting in Washington, signaling they are closer to reducing borrowing costs.

Wagers on aggressive easing by the Fed had been rising in recent days amid debate over whether the central bank should act when it meets next week.

Yields on policy-sensitive two-year Treasuries slid three basis points on Wednesday, while those on 10-year bonds were up by about the same amount.

Yields across maturities rose by three to five basis points as volumes picked up in midday Monday trading in New York.

The irony is, Trump's platform — including tax cuts, tariff increases and a crackdown on immigration — would, in the view of many economists and investors, stoke price pressures.

During his second day of congressional testimony this week, the Federal Reserve chair said the central bank does not have supremacy over other agencies on their joint rulemaking.

The Federal Reserve chair said there is a consensus within the central bank's board of governors for reproposing its capital rules, but notes that other agencies have not yet signed off on this approach.

The central bank also noted that the banking system is sound but faces several challenges. The report precedes Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's upcoming appearances on Capitol Hill.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell brushed away concerns that a second Trump presidency could imperil the central bank's independence.

It comes as investors begin to reshuffle their portfolios at the mid-year mark, while traders earlier this week embraced bets on 3 percentage points of cuts over the next nine months.

Beth Hammack, who stepped down as the bank's co-head of global finance earlier this year, will take the helm as President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland later this summer following the retirement of longtime President Loretta Mester.

Yields on two-year notes rose about 5 basis points to 4.88%, shifting the US yield curve to the flattest in more than a month.

Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michael Barr Monday spoke at length about efforts to enhance banks' liquidity and long-term debt positions after last year's bank failures while saying little about the capital hikes in the embattled interagency Basel III endgame proposal.

The so-called core consumer price index climbed 0.3% from March, snapping a streak of three above-forecast readings which spurred concern that inflation was becoming entrenched.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said there have been "no decisions" on the controversial capital reform plan, but banks and others who have criticized the proposal are eager for an indication about what's next.