BREAKING: Fed hikes interest rates by another .75 percentage points

June’s interest rate hike marked the highest increase since 1994, an aggressive effort to curb some of the highest levels of inflation the country has seen in nearly half a century.

ADVERTISEMENT
Image
Hannah Nightingale Washington DC
ADVERTISEMENT

On Wednesday, Federal Reserve officials announced that they would be raising interest rates by yet another .75 percentage points.

According to Market Watch, the new hike comes as the central bank attempts to curb inflation, which has risen to 40-year records.

The raise follows one in June of the same amount, when officials began expressing increased worries about inflation in the US. The latest consumer price index report showed that inflation had risen 9.1 percent from the June prior, reaching a high not seen in 41 years.

This latest hike brings the main policy rate with the central bank to a range of 2.25 to 2.5 percent, which Market Watch calls "roughly the level that is considered neutral, where interest rates neither stimulate nor restrict economic activity."

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has said that .75 point-rate hikes will not be common, and a recent slowdown in increased consumer inflation expectations suggest that the Fed will issue these hikes in smaller increments through the remainder of the year.

According to Market Watch, economists on Wall Street expect these rates to top out at around 3.5 percent, which is above this neutral rate.

June’s interest rate hike marked the highest increase since 1994, an aggressive effort to curb some of the highest levels of inflation the country has seen in nearly half a century.

Powell had indicated last month that another drastic measure would be taken at their next meeting, stating that a 50 to 75 point increase "seems most likely at our next meeting," adding that "We will however make our decisions meeting by meeting and we'll continue to communicate our thinking as clearly as we can."

"It is essential that we bring inflation down if we were to have a sustained period of strong labor market conditions that benefit all. From the standpoint of our congressional mandate to promote maximum employment and price stability, the current picture is plain to see.

"The labor market is extremely tight and inflation is much too high. Against this backdrop, today, the Federal Open Market Committee raised its policy interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point and anticipates that ongoing increases in that rate will be appropriate," Powell said in June.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in to comment

Comments

Powered by StructureCMS™ Comments

Join and support independent free thinkers!

We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.

Support The Post Millennial

Remind me next month

To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 The Post Millennial, Privacy Policy