Federal Government Policy and Business

Fed policymakers saw little risk from patient stance: minutes

Reuters: Federal Reserve policymakers thought pausing on U.S. interest rate hikes last month posed little risk and plenty of benefit, minutes from their Jan. 29-30 meeting showed, giving them time to assess the effects of a global slowdown and the Fed’s rate hikes to date on U.S. economic momentum.

“Many participants suggested that it was not yet clear what adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate may be appropriate later this year,” according to the official record of the Fed’s most recent policy meeting, released on Wednesday. “Several of these participants argued that rate increases might prove necessary only if inflation outcomes were higher than in their baseline outlook.”

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