Fed Is Set to Leave Interest Rates Unchanged While Facing Speculation About Eventual Rate Cuts

Fed Is Set to Leave Interest Rates Unchanged While Facing Speculation About Eventual Rate Cuts
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is introduced at the Jacques Polak Research Conference at the International Monetary Fund in Washington on Nov. 9, 2023. Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:
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WASHINGTON—With inflation edging closer to the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target, its policymakers are facing—and in some cases fueling—hopes that they will make a decisive shift in policy and cut interest rates next year, possibly as soon as spring.

Such a move would reduce borrowing costs across the economy, making mortgages, auto loans, and business borrowing less expensive. Stock prices could rise, too, though share prices have already risen in expectation of cuts, potentially limiting any further rise.