US Federal Reserve
REIT investors who were hoping for an interest rate reduction would have been disappointed at the latest US Federal Reserve’s (“Fed”) decision. The Fed held interest rates steady for the third straight meeting as it flagged a growing risk of higher inflation and rising unemployment. The committee released a statement stating that uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased further, with official voting unanimously to maintain the benchmark rate in the range of 4.25% to 4.5%. President Donald Trump’s wave of reciprocal tariffs is not helping, with economists expecting these tariffs to boost inflation and weigh on consumer demand. Fed officials are comfortable with keeping rates steady until they have a better understanding of where the economy is headed. In other words, they need to analyse more of the data to feel confident that both the central bank’s objectives are met....Welcome to this week’s edition of top stock market highlights.
