Central Banks
Fed’s ‘Hawkish Pause’ to Keep Option to Hike
- Policymakers want to wait and see more data before acting
- Financial conditions have tightened since September meeting
This article is for subscribers only.
The Federal Reserve is poised to hold interest rates steady at a 22-year high for a second meeting, while leaving open the possibility of another hike as soon as December with economic growth staying resilient.
The Federal Open Market Committee will keep rates unchanged at its two-day meeting ending Wednesday in a range of 5.25% to 5.5%, a level first reached in July. The rate decision and an accompanying statement will be released at 2 p.m. in Washington. Chair Jerome Powell will hold a press conference 30 minutes later.