Fed Leaves Policy on Hold, Ending Long String of Rate Hikes

Looking to tame inflation, which then was running at an annual pace of more than 8%, the Fed began tightening monetary policy in March 2022, eventually hiking rates for 10 consecutive meetings and bringing the fed funds rate from 0-0.25% to the current 5.0-5.25%. Inflation has been gradually slowing over the past year, with Tuesday’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report showing the rate falling to 4% in May, the slowest in two years. Though that pace remains above the central bank’s 2% target, the Fed has reminded that monetary policy often works with long lags, and as recent rate hikes work their way through the economic pipeline, inflation is likely to fall further.