Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady, forecasts two more rate hikes this year

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday, but officials signaled they are prepared to raise rates again this year to tame stubborn inflation.

The central bank maintained its benchmark interest rate in the range of 5%-5.25%, the first time since January 2022 the Fed made no change to interest rates following a policy meeting.

Fed officials did, however, raise their interest rate forecasts for this year, signaling rates could rise to as high as 5.6%, implying two additional rate hikes are likely this year. Three officials see rates rising closer to 6%.

Next year, officials see interest rates falling by 100 basis points to around 4.6%, higher than the 4.3% forecasted in March.

 

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