Most senior officials at the Federal Reserve “judged” that 1/2-point increases in a key U.S. interest rate would “likely be appropriate at the next couple of meetings,” according to the minutes of the central bank’s last strategy session in early May. The bank raised the short-term fed funds rate by 50 basis points after the May 3-4 meeting. “A number of participants” also suggested price pressures “may no longer be worsening,” but they acknowledged it was too early to be confident. The war in Ukraine and lockdowns in China could exacerbate inflation in the short run, they noted. The rate of inflation as measured by the CPI rose by 8.3% in the 12 months ended in April, well above the Fed’s 2% target.
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