Federal Reserve Expected to Leave Interest Rates Unchanged This Week

Justice Department probe could add to further drama at the Federal Reserve, says one market analyst.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks at a news conference following the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in Washington on Oct. 29, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The Federal Reserve will make its first policy decision of the year on Jan. 28, and traders expect the central bank to leave interest rates unchanged.

Investors are penciling a 97 percent chance that monetary policymakers will keep the benchmark federal funds rate—a key rate that influences business and consumer borrowing costs—in a range of 3.5 percent to 3.75 percent, according to CME FedWatch Tool data.