Free Republic

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will have an opportunity on Wednesday to lay the groundwork for where the central bank is headed when policy makers meet next month—and he’ll likely use it to make the case for slower but steady interest rate hikes. In a speech Wednesday afternoon at the Brookings Institution, Powell is expected to reinforce the dual message central bank officials have been making for weeks: that the Fed is on track to ease up slightly on its pace of monetary policy tightening, likely slowing to a 50 basis point increase next month after four straight 75 basis...

Real estate investors have largely done well for the past few years. But with higher interest rates, things could be about to change. The U.S. Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rates by 0.75 basis points on Wednesday, marking the third such hike in a row. Higher interest rates translate to bigger mortgage payments — not good news for the housing market. But cooling down housing prices is part of what needs to be done to bring inflation under control. “For the longer term what we need is supply and demand to get better aligned, so that housing prices go...

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised interest rates by 75-basis points for the second-straight meeting as the need for speed to move monetary policy to a restrictive stance to curb above-trend inflation persists. The Federal Open Market Committee raised its benchmark rate to a range of 2.25% to 2.5% from 1.5% to 1.75% previously. In support of its goals - to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run - the Fed said it "anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate." In the weeks leading up to the decision,...

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell answers questions after the FOMC decided to raise the federal funds rate by 75 basis points. Video at link

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rallied on Wednesday and the Nasdaq posted its biggest daily percentage gain since April 2020 as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates as expected and comments by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell reassured investors. In addition, upbeat quarterly reports from Microsoft Corp and Alphabet Inc provided further encouragement about about the earnings season. The S&P 500 closed at its highest level since June 8. The Fed raised the benchmark overnight interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point. The move came on top of a 75 basis points hike last month and smaller moves in...