Market Wire, North America

The Federal Reserve downgraded its assessment of the economy even as it held interest rates steady for a fifth straight meeting, and stopped short of executing the sort of communications pivot that might have prepared markets for an imminent rate cut. The Federal Open Market Committee voted in a split 9-2 decision to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate between 4.25 to 4.50 percent—a level reached in December after a series of cuts in the second half of 2024—with Trump appointees Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller dissenting from the majority. This is highly unusual—the last time two...

As had been widely anticipated, the Federal Reserve left benchmark borrowing rates unchanged this afternoon, and officials delivered a finely-balanced message in the accompanying communications, suggesting that they intend to remain on the sidelines until a clearer picture of underlying economic conditions can emerge. The Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate between 4.25 to 4.50 percent, and in the statement setting out the decision, officials said “Although swings in net exports have affected the data, recent indicators suggest that economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace. The...