The dollar strengthened in choppy trading after the Federal Reserve on Wednesday cut interest rates by half a percentage point, citing greater confidence that inflation will continue to fall to the U.S. central bank’s annual target of 2%.
The Fed cut its overnight interest rate to a range of 4.75%-5.00%, and policymakers expect the Fed’s benchmark rate to fall by another half percentage point later this year, another full percentage point in 2025, and a final half percentage point in 2026 to end in a range of 2.75%-3.00%.
Gold fell back to $2,563 after nearly hitting a new record high of $2,600 as investors digested the Fed’s latest decision. The Fed delivered a larger-than-expected 50bps rate cut, the first in more than four years.
The central bank also released its latest economic forecasts. Policymakers had anticipated a total rate cut of 100bps. However, during a regular press conference, Chairman Powell noted that the Fed was in no rush to ease policy and that the Fed’s dot plot projections for rates were not a policy plan.
Major stock indexes rose on Wednesday as traders digested a big rate cut from the Federal Reserve, which is seeking to lower borrowing costs in the world’s largest economy for the first time in more than four years.
The U.S. central bank cut its overnight interest rate by half a percentage point, more than the usual quarter-point adjustment, citing greater confidence that inflation will continue to fall toward its 2% annual target.