|

Breaking: Fed hikes policy rate by 50 bps to 4.25-4.5% as expected

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced that it raised the policy rate, federal funds rate, by 50 basis points to the range of 4.25-4.5% following the December monetary policy meeting. This decision came in line with the market expectation. 

Follow our live coverage of the Fed's policy announcements and the market reaction.

In its policy statement, the Fed reiterated that ongoing interest rate increases will be appropriate to attain a 'sufficiently restrictive policy stance.'

Additional takeaways as summarized by Reuters

"Will take into account cumulative tightening, policy lags and economic and financial developments in setting rate hike pace."

"Inflation remains elevated, Fed is highly attentive to inflation risks."

"Job gains have been robust, unemployment rate low."

"Recent indicators point to modest growth in spending and production."

"Vote was in favor of policy was unanimous."

Market reaction

The US Dollar Index recovered modestly from the multi-month lows with the initial reaction and was last seen trading flat on the day at around 104.00.

Author

More from FXStreet Team
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD eases from around 1.1800 after US GDP figures

The US Dollar is finding some near-term demand after the release of the US Q3 GDP. According to the report, the economy expanded at an annualized rate of 4.3% in the three months to September, well above the 3.3% forecast by market analysts.

GBP/USD retreats below 1.3500 on modest USD recovery

GBP/USD retreats from session highs and trades slightly below 1.3500 in the second half of the day on Tuesday. The US Dollar stages a rebound following the better-than-expected Q3 growth data, limiting the pair's upside ahead of the Christmas break.

Gold retreats from record highs on solid US growth

Gold prices soared to $4,497 on Monday, as persistent US Dollar weakness and thinned holiday trading exacerbated the bullish run. The bright metal eases following the release of an upbeat US Q3 GDP reading, but overall, the report is doing little for the Greenback.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP decline as risk-off sentiment escalates

Bitcoin remains under pressure, trading above the $87,000 support at the time of writing on Tuesday. Selling pressure has continued to weigh on the broader cryptocurrency market since Monday, triggering declines across altcoins, including Ethereum and Ripple.

Ten questions that matter going into 2026

2026 may be less about a neat “base case” and more about a regime shift—the market can reprice what matters most (growth, inflation, fiscal, geopolitics, concentration). The biggest trap is false comfort: the same trades can look defensive… right up until they become crowded.

Dogecoin ticks lower as low Open Interest, funding rate weigh on buyers

Dogecoin extends its decline as risk-off sentiment dominates across the crypto market. DOGE’s derivatives market remains weak amid suppressed futures Open Interest and perpetual funding rate.