{"id":58483,"date":"2026-02-13T16:38:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T20:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/feds-goolsbee-signals-rate-cut-path-amid-mixed-inflation-europe-weighs-russian-shadow-fleet-seizures\/58483\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T16:38:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T20:38:29","slug":"feds-goolsbee-signals-rate-cut-path-amid-mixed-inflation-europe-weighs-russian-shadow-fleet-seizures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/feds-goolsbee-signals-rate-cut-path-amid-mixed-inflation-europe-weighs-russian-shadow-fleet-seizures\/58483\/","title":{"rendered":"Fed\u2019s Goolsbee Signals Rate Cut Path Amid Mixed Inflation; Europe Weighs Russian \u2018Shadow Fleet\u2019 Seizures"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fed\u2019s Austan Goolsbee suggests interest rates could fall a &quot;fair bit more&quot;<\/strong> if inflation reaches the 2% target, despite concerns over &quot;not tamed&quot; services inflation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>UK and 14 European allies are considering the seizure of Russian &quot;shadow fleet&quot; vessels<\/strong> to intensify economic pressure and disrupt Moscow&#39;s oil export revenue.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a landmark permit to X-Energy<\/strong> for a HALEU fuel plant, marking the first such license in over 50 years.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Brent crude futures settled higher at $67.75 per barrel<\/strong>, as investors weighed geopolitical tensions against cooling global demand forecasts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Federal Reserve Outlook: Goolsbee Cautious on Services Inflation<\/h2>\n<p>Chicago Fed President <strong>Austan Goolsbee<\/strong> indicated on Friday that while the path for interest rates remains downward, the central bank must remain &quot;circumspect.&quot; Speaking with <em>Yahoo Finance<\/em>, Goolsbee noted that the latest <strong>Consumer Price Index (CPI)<\/strong> data contained both encouraging signs and persistent concerns. While headline inflation fell to <strong>2.4% in January<\/strong>, the lowest level since mid-2025, Goolsbee warned that <strong>services inflation remains &quot;pretty high&quot;<\/strong> and is not yet fully tamed.<\/p>\n<p>Goolsbee emphasized that the <strong>US consumer remains the strongest pillar of the economy<\/strong>, supported by a steady labor market that has shown only &quot;modest cooling.&quot; He suggested that if inflation continues its progress toward the <strong>2% target<\/strong>, the Fed could implement <strong>several more rate cuts<\/strong> in the coming months. However, he expressed wariness about frontloading these cuts, citing the need for definitive proof that services costs are stabilizing.<\/p>\n<h2>Geopolitical Escalation: Allies Target Russian &#39;Shadow Fleet&#39;<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>United Kingdom<\/strong> and a coalition of <strong>14 European allies<\/strong> are weighing military and legal options to seize tankers belonging to Russia&#39;s &quot;shadow fleet.&quot; These vessels, often aging and poorly insured, frequently operate with <strong>disabled transponders or fraudulent flags<\/strong> to circumvent Western oil sanctions. Defense sources indicate that the <strong>Royal Marines<\/strong> have been briefed on potential seizure operations, which would treat these ships as &quot;stateless vessels&quot; under maritime law.<\/p>\n<p>This move marks a significant escalation in the economic war against Moscow as <strong>Russia&#39;s oil revenues begin to falter<\/strong>. While the US has already conducted similar seizures in the Atlantic, a European-led operation in the <strong>Baltic or North Seas<\/strong> would open a new front in sanctions enforcement. Analysts warn that such actions carry <strong>escalatory risks<\/strong>, though proponents argue they are necessary to close loopholes that allow Russia to export over <strong>5 million barrels of oil per day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Energy and Innovation: X-Energy and Crude Markets<\/h2>\n<p>In a major development for the nuclear sector, the <strong>US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)<\/strong> has issued a Special Nuclear Material License to <strong>TRISO-X<\/strong>, a subsidiary of <strong>X-Energy<\/strong>. The permit allows for the commercial fabrication of <strong>High-Assay Low-Enriched <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/uranium\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"13\" title=\"Uranium\">Uranium<\/a> (HALEU)<\/strong> fuel at a new plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Backed by <strong>Amazon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>)<\/strong>, X-Energy\u2019s new facility is the first of its kind licensed in over five decades and is critical for the deployment of <strong>next-generation small modular reactors (SMRs)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the commodities market, <strong>Brent crude futures settled at $67.75 per barrel<\/strong>, gaining 23 cents or <strong>0.34%<\/strong>. The slight uptick came as markets reacted to the potential for further Fed rate cuts and the looming threat of shadow fleet disruptions. Despite the daily gain, <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">oil prices<\/a> remain under pressure from an <strong>IEA demand growth downgrade<\/strong> and reports that <strong>OPEC+<\/strong> may soon resume production increases, leading to a projected global supply glut.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Fed\u2019s Austan Goolsbee suggests interest rates could fall a &quot;fair bit more&quot; if inflation reaches the 2% target, 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