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US Fed Rates
The Federal Reserve reduced its key interest rate by a quarter-point for the third time in a row on Wednesday but signalled that it may leave rates unchanged in the coming months. Chair Jerome Powell signalled at a news conference that the Fed would likely hold off on further rate cuts in the coming months while it evaluated the health of the economy. And in a set of quarterly economic projections, Fed officials signalled they expect to lower rates just once next year. Wednesday's cut reduced the rate to about 3.6 per cent, the lowest it has been in nearly three years. Lower rates from the Fed can bring down borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards over time, though market forces can also affect those rates. Fed officials "will carefully evaluate the incoming data," Powell said, adding that the Fed is "well positioned to wait to see how the economy evolves." The chair also said that the Fed's key rate was close to a level that neither restricts nor stimulates the
Gold prices are poised to remain firm and could edge closer to record highs next week as investors await key US data, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech and the Reserve Bank of India's policy decision, analysts said. "Gold moves out of the consolidation range as investors focus on the manufacturing and services PMI data from across regions, US jobs data, and consumer sentiments," Pranav Mer, Vice President, EBG - Commodity & Currency Research, JM Financial Services Ltd, said. "Adding to that would be Fed chair Jerome Powell's speech on Monday, developments over the Russia-Ukraine peace talks and RBI policy meeting on Friday, all of which will be closely monitored by traders," he added. On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), gold futures for the February 2026 contract climbed by Rs 3,654, or 2.9 per cent, over the past week to close at Rs 1,29,504 per 10 grams on Friday. In the domestic markets, "rupee's weakness and local demand have been a significant contributor to ...