Most officials worried a protracted war could hurt the labour market and warrant lower interest rates. A similar sentiment appeared in minutes to the Fed’s January meeting, but the size of the group supporting it increased. Echoing those concerns, the minutes noted the “vast majority” of officials thought it may take longer to return inflation to the Fed’s 2% goal. At the meeting, officials held the Fed’s benchmark policy rate in a range of 3.5% to 3.75% at that gathering. In projections released after the meeting, policymakers signalled an expectation for one interest-rate cut in 2026, unchanged from their December forecasts.

Source: The Edge Markets April 09, 2026 08:37 UTC