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
If Bitcoin remains range-bound post-FOMC, rotational flows, analysts believe, may continue to support altcoins at the margins
Trump has said he will soon announce his choice for Fed chair, but that he might wait until early 2026 to publicly reveal the name
Benchmarks fell for a second session as IT and heavyweight losses offset a broader recovery. FPIs sold Rs 3,760 crore while DIIs bought Rs 6,225 crore, with Fed cues in focus
Spot gold rose 0.4 per cent to $4,208.39 per ounce by 0920 GMT. US gold futures for February delivery rose 0.48 per cent to $4,237.80 per ounce
BSE market cap shrinks ₹7 trillion as FPIs weigh on sentiment
The BSE Sensex tumbled 803 points in the intraday to hit a low of 84,909, and the NSE Nifty50 also slipped below the 26,000 mark in the intraday to hit a low of 25,902.95
The US Fed's interest rate decision will be the major factor dictating trends in the domestic equity market this week, with global movements and foreign investor activity also influencing sentiment, according to analysts. Stock markets ended the last week on a subdued note, with benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closing flat. "This week, markets will closely track India's CPI print on December 12...Globally, the spotlight will be on the US Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, which could drive risk sentiment across emerging markets already navigating currency pressures," Ajit Mishra- SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, said. The movement of the rupee, which breached 90 to a dollar last week, will also be tracked by investors. Investors' attention now shifts firmly to the upcoming US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting scheduled for December 910, 2025, Pravesh Gour, Senior Technical Analyst at Swastika Investmart Ltd, said. "Alongside the FOMC decision, key US econo
The Nikkei 225 rose 0.8 per cent, while MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was trading down 0.1 per cent, weighed down by declines in Korea and New Zealand
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday he would push a new requirement that the Federal Reserve's regional bank presidents live in their districts for at least three years before taking office, a move that could give the White House more power over the independent agency. In comments at the New York Times' DealBook Summit, Bessent said that there is a disconnect with the framing of the Federal Reserve and added that, unless someone has lived in their district for three years, we're going to veto them. Bessent has stepped up his criticism of the Fed's 12 regional bank presidents in recent weeks after several of them made clear in a series of speeches that they opposed cutting the Fed's key rate at its next meeting in December. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized the Fed for not lowering its short-term interest rate more quickly. When the Fed reduces its rate it can over time lower borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards. The prospect of the ...
US stock futures, though, were lower in Asian hours, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose over 1 per cent pushing Asian stocks higher
Trump has frequently excoriated current Fed chief Jerome Powell for failing to lower rates swiftly and signalled he wants a chair who will more forcefully pursue cuts
Bessent has narrowed the search for a successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whose leadership term expires in May, to five from as many as 11, and said in an interview with CNBC
Markets were gearing up for potential catalysts, including the release of US retail sales and producer prices data due later in the week
New San Francisco Fed research warns that a steep fall in net migration this year may leave the United States with a slower-growing or even contracting labour force, adding to economic uncertainty
A majority of Federal Reserve policymakers expressed support in late October for further interest rate cuts, though not all committed to making the reduction at their next meeting in December, according to minutes released Wednesday. At the same time, many officials said it would likely be appropriate to keep rates unchanged for the rest of the year," a sign of strong divisions among policymakers about the central bank's next steps. Rate cuts by the Fed, over time, typically lower borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans, and credit cards. Fed officials are deeply split over the biggest threat to the economy: weak hiring or stubbornly-elevated inflation. If a sluggish job market is the biggest threat, then the Fed would typically cut rates more. But it combats inflation by keeping rates elevated, or even raising them. Chair Jerome Powell had telegraphed the deep divisions among the Fed's 19-member interest-rate setting committee at a news conference following the October 28-29 ...
The president has publicly mused about the decision, praising candidates on the list, but has been coy about suggesting whether he's leaning toward any particular candidate
The Federal Reserve's top banking regulator on Tuesday released new guidelines for the agency's supervision of the financial system, earning praise from industry trade groups and criticism from her predecessor. In a set of sweeping changes, the principles call for bank examiners to focus on material financial risks and to not become distracted from this priority by devoting excessive attention to processes, procedures, and documentation." The guidelines are set out in a memo originally distributed to Fed employees October 29 but released Tuesday. Michelle Bowman, the Fed's vice chair for supervision, said the principles will sharpen the central bank's focus and build a more effective supervisory framework. By anchoring our work in material financial risks, we strengthen the banking system's foundation while upholding transparency, accountability, and fairness," Bowman said in a written statement. Bowman was named vice chair by President Donald Trump in March. Since Trump took offic
Gold prices are likely to remain volatile in the coming week but may find support as focus shifts to key US economic data releases, including jobs report and the Federal Reserve's meeting minutes for fresh signals on the interest rate decision, analysts said. Investors will also closely watch Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech on Wednesday. Along with comments from other Fed officials throughout the week which will drive the gold prices, they added. "The volatility is expected to remain high, but prices may find some support... Focus will be on the US economic data releases, which may give some clues on the health of the American economy & possible some direction on the Fed's rate outlook," Pranav Mer, Vice President, EBG - Commodity & Currency Research, JM Financial Services Ltd, said. On a weekly basis, gold futures for December delivery climbed by Rs 2,494, or 2.06 per cent in the past week, on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX). "The precious metal rallied ...
Kugler's resignation gave Trump an earlier-than-expected opportunity to fill a slot on the Fed's board in the midst of his intense pressure campaign urging policymakers to drastically lower rates