Trending Now
We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell holds a press conference following a two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee on interest rate policy in Washington, U.S., September 18, 2024.
The US Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by half a point on Wednesday, an expected cut but surprising in size, coming in bigger than many anticipated. Its target range is now 4.75% to 5%.
The cut was the first from the Fed in four years — and more could be coming. In August, the inflation rate was 2.5%, a significant drop from pandemic highs. In May of 2022, inflation hit 8.6%, the highest rate since 1981.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that growth was proceeding at a “solid rate” and that he didn’t expect an economic downturn.
Ahead of the decision, Former President Donald Trump opposed the cut, suggesting it was a political move, coming so close to an election. The decision was taken at a routine, scheduled meeting of Fed governors and independent of any electoral considerations, a common practice even in an election year. Many Republicans agreed with the decision to lower rates, and Powell said the effects would take time to move through the economy — beyond the November vote.
The cut is a sign that inflation is shifting back toward pre-pandemic levels in the US — and the Fed is not alone. In early September, the Bank of Canada cut its key rate t0 4.25%. This marked the third reduction in a row, with more, possibly bigger cuts, expected. In August, the price of goods and services in Canada ticked up just 2%, the lowest rate in nearly three and a half years and in line with the Bank’s target.
Lower inflation is good news for consumers on both sides of the border who’ve faced high and growing prices for years. The cooling inflation rates will drive calls for more central bank interest rate cuts, which are increasingly expected to follow.