Federal Reserve Reverses Course, Lowers Rates Amid Uncertainty

(WASHINGTON, DC) The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announced that it would cut interest rates for the second time this year. The committee approved another quarter-point decrease in the target range for the federal funds rate to a range of 1.75-2%. The FOMC noted that labor market conditions remain strong and economic activity has continued to rise at a moderate rate, but that overall inflation and inflation for items other than food and energy are running below the Federal Reserve’s two percent target. In addition, business fixed investment and exports have weakened since the previous period, and global uncertainty has continued to rise. The rate cut “supports the Committee’s view that sustained expansion of economic activity, strong labor market conditions, and inflation near the Committee’s symmetric 2% objective are the most likely outcomes, but uncertainties about this outlook remain.”