Policymakers left their benchmark rate unchanged amid signs that the economy is humming along, defying the president’s tradition-bucking pressure on the central bank.

Consumers and traders are waiting to learn if the Fed’s pause is a one-meeting hold or the start of a longer stretch.

Trump's plan for widespread buyouts raises plenty of questions.

The Federal Reserve is nearly certain to keep its key interest rate unchanged at its policy meeting this week, just a few days after President Donald Trump said he would soon demand lower rates.

The president bashed Jerome Powell on inflation less than two hours after the Fed chair announced interest rates would stay put. As Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan may attest, Trump’s timing is not coincidental.

The US Federal Reserve will announce its first monetary policy decision of 2025, expected to keep interest rates at 4.50%.

The decision was what investors and economists expected after a series of high readings of inflation and strong jobs reports.

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, just days after President Donald Trump called on the central bank to lower them. The announcement put the central bank on a potential collision course with Trump, though a longstanding norm of independence typically insulates the Fed from direct political interference.

The rand and oil prices are trading much higher than in December, leading to the under-recovery. South African motorists have already had a tough start to the year, with a 19 cents per litre hike in petrol prices at the beginning of January. This, combined with the incoming hike for February, is likely to put upward pressure on inflation.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is getting his wish that interest rates drop across the world, just not at home where a strong economy and uncertainty over his own policies have set the stage for the Federal Reserve to diverge from its central bank peers.

Investor Shankar Sharma warns that Trump's tariff policies pose a greater risk to the US economy, potentially raising costs and inflation. He cites examples like increased coffee prices in Colombia, which affect consumer purchasing power.