The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will meet again in March. On March 21 and 22, the FOMC will gather to consider the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) next move regarding a rate hike. On March 22, the decision to raise rates for March will be made public.
The The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) would also publish the Overview of Economic Projections on 22nd March. Therefore the date is equally crucial for the decision to raise interest rates.
Understanding the Federal Reserve’s so-called dot plot where the central bank uses to signify. Its expectation for the trend of interest rates depending on average forecasts, is make possible by the economic projections.
These forecasts assist economists, researchers, & investors in interpreting signals when choosing which investments to make in a portfolio.
The second FOMC meeting of 2023 will take place in March. The US Fed had previously raised interest rates on Jan 31 and Feb 1 by a 0.25 bps, bringing the Fed funds rate to a range of 4.50%–4.75%.
Prior to this, the US Federal Reserve’s reduced its rate increases from four straight increases of 75 basis points to one of 50 basis points in December and one of 0.25% in January.
The markets anticipate the Fed will announce a rate increase of the same size on March 22 by increasing rates by 25bps.
The biggest issue for Powell will be to control inflation. While preventing a major economic downturn during his rate hike sessions.
Investors in the stock market will be paying close attention to what fed reserve Chair Jerome Powell discusses at his news conference following the meeting.
What the policymakers need to observe before halting the degree. Which further the central bank forecasts interest rates will go are the primary concerns.
Although recent inflation has slow, Chairman Powell has indeed been outspoke about fact that it is still too high. The goal of Fed officials is to eventually reduce inflation to less than 2%.
After surpassing a decades-high inflation rate of 9.1%, the annual inflation rate fell to 6.4% in Jan 2023.