Interest Rates
Treasury Secretary Bessent says more Fed rate cuts are ‘only ingredient missing’ for stronger economy
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during a press conference to unveil the official Trump Accounts website, at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 17, 2025. Aaron Schwartz | Reuters Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday pressed the administration’s desire for lower interest rates, saying they are the key to future economic growth. […]
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Asia-Pacific markets set for lower open as Trump rattles defense firms and oil prices slide
SHENZHEN, CHINA – AUGUST 26: An aerial view of the Shenzhen skyline on August 26, 2020 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province of China. (Photo by He Shaoping/VCG via Getty Images) Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets were set to open lower Thursday after Wall Street closed in the red on growing geopolitical […]
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Minneapolis Fed’s Kashkari indicates interest rates don’t need to be cut much more
Key Points Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari told CNBC on Monday that he thinks the central bank is close to the point where it should stop lowering interest rates. “My guess is we’re pretty close to neutral right now,” Kashkari said. Calibrating neutral is critical for Fed policymakers as they decide whether to continue the […]
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Asia-Pacific markets set to open higher after U.S. captures Venezuela’s Maduro, oil slips
The skyline of Tokyo city, Japan. Tomohiro Ohsumi | Bloomberg | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets were set to open higher Monday, after the U.S. attacked Venezuela and captured its leader Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, while oil prices edged lower amid uncertainty over the oil-rich country and risk premiums. Following the attack, Maduro and his wife, […]
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After a bruising 2025, the Fed faces another slew of challenges in the year ahead
Key Points The Federal Reserve heads into 2026 facing a slew of political and policy challenges. Crucial issues include a new chair and an economy fed by both tailwinds and headwinds. The previous year saw the Fed come under the spotlight in ways that it never had before. Still, when it comes to policy, most […]
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Fed minutes show officials were in tight split over December rate cut
WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve on Tuesday released minutes from its highly divisive meeting earlier this month, which concluded with a vote to lower interest rates again that appeared to be an even closer call than the final vote indicated. Officials expressed a variety of opinions during the Dec. 9-10 meeting, according to the summary […]
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Asia markets open higher amid holiday-thinned trade; silver hits fresh high
TOKYO, JAPAN – JULY 27: Pedestrians and shoppers walk through the Akihabara area on July 27, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. Japan’s core consumer price index climbed by 3.3% in June, outpacing the US figure for the first time in eight years as the Bank of Japan holds its monetary policy meeting on July 27 and […]
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Fed chair candidate Hassett says U.S. is way behind the curve on lowering interest rates
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Tuesday that the Federal Reserve is not cutting interest rates quickly enough, even though the U.S. economy grew at a much faster-than-expected pace in the third quarter. Hassett, a leading contender to succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell when his term ends in May, said the artificial intelligence […]
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Here’s how AI could influence the Fed’s economic outlook
Key Points Members of the Federal Open Market Committee are factoring rising labor productivity in their economic forecasts. In a long-run “unbounded growth” scenario where AI is fully developed, up to 23% of workers may lose employment and labor productivity increases by as much as three to four times, according to a May 2025 research […]
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Fed’s Hammack says there’s no need to change interest rates for months, WSJ reports
Beth Hammack, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, center, speaks with attendees at the Columbus Metropolitan Club in Columbus, Ohio, US, on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Brian Kaiser | Bloomberg | Getty Images Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack said she saw no need to change U.S. […]
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