FOMC Interest rate decision (Fed) | News & Analysis


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Breaking: Federal Reserve left its interest rates unchanged, as anticipated

The Federal Reserve (Fed) announced on Wednesday that it has kept its Federal Funds Target Range (FFTR) unchanged at 4.25%–4.50%, in line with broad market expectations. This decision follows the 25 basis point rate cut in December as the Fed continues to navigate the delicate balance between supporting economic growth and managing inflation.


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GBP/USD pares gains toward 1.3550 after downbeat UK data

GBP/USD pares gains toward 1.3550 after downbeat UK data

GBP/USD is paring back gains toward 1.3550 in European trading on Thursday. The UK GDP fell by 0.3% in April, compared to a 0.1% decline expected while the industial data missed forecasts, exerting downward pressure on the Pound Sterling. 

EUR/USD sits at seven-week highs above 1.1500

EUR/USD sits at seven-week highs above 1.1500

EUR/USD consolidates its weekly uptrend near multi-week highs above 1.1500 in Thursday's European session. Trade uncertainties and sustained US Dollar weakness on dovish Fed bets support the main currency pair. Attention now turns to ECB-speak and US PPI inflation data. 

US and China agree to implement the implementation of the already-agreed consensus

US and China agree to implement the implementation of the already-agreed consensus

After two days of back-and-forth in London, the U.S.–China trade circus wrapped with what can only be described as a diplomatic tautology: a late-night announcement that both sides have “agreed in principle on a framework to implement the Geneva consensus”.

Gold price refreshes weekly top amid the global flight to safety, weaker USD

Gold price refreshes weekly top amid the global flight to safety, weaker USD

Gold price rises on safe-haven demand amid trade uncertainties and rising geopolitical tensions. A softer US CPI lifts Fed rate cut bets and weighs on the USD, further supporting the commodity. Traders now look to the US economic releases for some meaningful impetus later this Thursday.

Litecoin struggles below resistance, bearish bets hit monthly high

Litecoin struggles below resistance, bearish bets hit monthly high

Litecoin is showing signs of weakness on Thursday as it fails to break above its key resistance level. The price action emerges as a classic dead-cat bounce pattern, which favors bears. The technical outlook suggests that sidelined traders looking to short LTC could consider entry points between $93 and $95.

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What's important about the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy meeting?

With a pre-set regularity, a nation's central bank holds a monetary policy meeting where board members take different measures, the most relevant one setting the range of the federal funds rate, which greatly influences the interest rate charge on loans and advances to commercial banks.

In the US, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve (Fed) meets at intervals of five to eight weeks to announce their latest decisions. An interest-rate hike increases borrowing costs throughout the economy. This results in a stronger US Dollar (USD) as it makes the US a more attractive place for international investors. A rate cut, on the other hand, tends to weaken the USD.

If rates remain unchanged, the attention, main news and analysis turn to the tone of the monetary policy statement and the press conference from the Fed’s Chair. Markets analyze whether the tone is hawkish or dovish over future developments of inflation.

What is the Fed?

The Federal Reserve (Fed) is the central bank of the United States (US) and it has two main targets: to maintain the unemployment rate at its lowest possible levels and to keep inflation around 2%. The Federal Reserve System's structure is composed of the presidentially appointed Board of Governors and the partially appointed Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). The FOMC organizes eight scheduled meetings in a year to review economic and financial conditions. It also determines the appropriate stance of monetary policy and assesses the risks to its long-run goals of price stability and sustainable economic growth. The FOMC Minutes, which are released by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve weeks after the latest meeting, are a guide to the future US interest-rate policy.

How to trade the event?

  • Do not rely on the Fed to determine the direction of the dollar in the coming months.
  • The dollar tends to follow its predominant trend when the Fed starts to hike rates.
  • There is no direct link between the Fed hiking rates and the usd falling. When a weak usd has coincided with a Fed hiking cycle, it has been falling for some time.
  • Due to this, we may see a muted reaction to a potential Fed rate hike.

WHO IS FOMC'S CHAIRMAN?

Jerome Powell

Jerome Powell Jerome Powell took office as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in February 2018, for a four-year term ending in February 2022. His term as a member of the Board of Governors will expire January 31, 2028. Born in Washington D.C., he received a bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton University in 1975 and earned a law degree from Georgetown University in 1979. Powell served as an assistant secretary and as undersecretary of the Treasury under President George H.W. Bush. He also worked as a lawyer and investment banker in New York City. From 1997 through 2005, Powell was a partner at The Carlyle Group.


The World Interest Rates Table

The World Interest Rates Table reflects the current interest rates of the main countries around the world, set by their respective Central Banks. Rates typically reflect the health of individual economies, as in a perfect scenario, Central Banks tend to rise rates when the economy is growing and therefore instigate inflation.