September Federal Reserve Board Meeting concluded without surprise. The Fed, as the vast majority of analysts expected, raised the rate by 0.25 percentage points. Now it’s 2-2.25 percent per annum.
American regulator revised its forecasts for the growth rate of the country’s economy in 2018-2019 upwards. According to the Federal Reserve Board, this year will end with a GDP growth of 3.1 percent. Next year, the U.S. economy will show growth of 2.5 percent. The unemployment forecast for 2018 was raised to 3.7 per cent, and for 2019 it was maintained at 3.5 per cent. The Fed expects consumer prices in the country to rise by 2.1 and 2 percent in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Meeting participants did not change their forecast for the number of base rate increases in 2018. They’re still expecting four of them. Next year’s rate will be raised three times, in 2020 – once.
Many experts have noticed that the statement of the U.S. Federal Reserve at the end of the September meeting does not contain any reference to the “stimulating” nature of monetary policy.After the statement was published, the dollar started to fall in price.