Central banking
Fed votes to hold rates steady, notes ‘uncertain’ impacts from Iran war
WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve on Wednesday voted to hold its key interest rate steady as policymakers navigate their way through higher-than-expected inflation readings, mixed signs on the labor market – and a war. In a widely expected decision, the Federal Open Market Committee voted 11-1 to keep the benchmark federal funds rate anchored in […]
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The Fed issues its latest interest rate decision Wednesday. Here’s what to expect
Key Points Markets are pricing in a near-zero chance that the Federal Reserve will be cutting interest rates at this meeting — or any other in the near future. Updates to economic and rate projections also aren’t expected to show anything dramatic when the decision is released Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET. On top of […]
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Australia central bank hikes rates to a near 1-year high as Iran war raises inflation risks
Michele Bullock, governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), speaks during a press conference in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Australia’s central bank on Tuesday raised benchmark policy rates for a second straight time, pushing them to their highest since April 2025 at 4.1%, amid sticky […]
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Markets hopes for Fed interest rate cuts are rapidly fading away
Key Points As both energy prices and inflation fears pop, expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts are sliding. Traders have taken even a September cut off the table and now see only one coming, in December. There are no additional cuts priced in until well into 2027 or even into the early part of […]
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Fed Governor Miran says job losses in February add to the case for more interest rate cuts
Key Points Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran said in a CNBC interview on Friday that the weak February jobs report bolsters the rationale for the central bank to lower interest rates further. If Miran had his way, the rate would be around neutral, which he deems to be about a full percentage point lower. Source
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New York Fed’s Williams says tariff burden falls ‘overwhelmingly’ on U.S. businesses and consumers
Key Points American consumers and businesses are taking most of the hit from President Donald Trump’s tariffs, New York Fed President John Williams said in remarks that counter White House claims. A study Williams cited on the issue has generated a fair amount of controversy over the past few weeks, with White House economist Kevin […]
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South Korea central bank holds rates, adopts dot-plot path signalling extended pause
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – 2025/05/07: General view of the headquarters of the Bank of Korea in central Seoul. The Bank of Korea (BOK) is the central bank of South Korea and the institution that issues the Korean won. It was founded on June 12, 1950 in Seoul. (Photo by Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) […]
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Fed officials split on where interest rates should go, minutes say
Divided Federal Reserve officials at their January meeting indicated that further interest rate cuts should be paused for now but could resume later in the year only if inflation cooperates. While the decision to hold the central bank’s benchmark rate steady mostly was met with approval, the path ahead appeared less certain, with members conflicted […]
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Visa’s Olympics monopoly highlights Europe’s payment headache
Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics – Previews – Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – January 26, 2026 General view of the Olympic rings covered in snow ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Claudia Greco | Reuters Anyone trying to buy a souvenir at the official Olympic stores at the Milano Cortina Games will have been […]
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ECB makes euro backstop global to bolster currency’s role
The euro steadied near its lowest in a month on Wednesday, nursing steep losses this week as investors counted the cost of the U.S.-EU trade pact. Olena Malik | Moment | Getty Images The European Central Bank unveiled plans on Saturday to widen access to its euro liquidity backstop, making it globally available and permanent […]
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