The U.S. Federal Reserve has lowered its benchmark fed funds rate by 25 basis points to the 4.25%-4.50% range, marking its third consecutive easing move this year and a total of 100 basis points of rate cuts since September. Market participants fully expected this move by the central bank. The focus now turns to the policy statement, updated economic projections, and the upcoming press conference with Chairman Jerome Powell for clues about the Fed’s thinking on future policy actions.
The Fed’s quarterly economic projections reveal that policymakers expect the Fed funds rate to decline to 3.9% by year-end 2025, or another 50 basis points in rate cuts next year. This is higher than the 3.4% projected in September, signaling a less dovish monetary policy in 2025. The price of bitcoin traded slightly above $104,000 in the minutes following the announcement, while the S&P 500 index fell to a session low.
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