Fed lifts U.S. interest rates, still expects 3 hikes in 2018

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised a key short-term U.S. interest rate to a range of 1.25% to 1.5%, but in a sign of caution the central bank stuck to its earlier forecast for just three 1/4-point rate hikes in 2018. The Fed made no change to its inflation forecast, reflecting the persistent worry among some senior officials that price pressures could remain unusually soft despite the tightest labor market in almost two decades. Two Fed members voted against the rate hike in a 7-2 tally. The central bank did raise its GDP forecast for 2018 to 2.5% from 2.1%, indicating the Fed expects federal tax cuts to boost the economy next year. The bank also predicted unemployment would average 3.9% in both 2018 and 2019, down from the current 4.1% rate.

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