FOMC Meeting Schedule

The Federal Reserve’s rate-setting Committee, the FOMC, will meet eight times in 2023. The year’s first meeting is February 1st, followed by March 22nd, May 3rd, June 14th, July 26th, September 20th, and November 1st. The FOMC will also hold a press conference after four of the meetings. The FOMC meets eight times a year to assess economic conditions and determine the appropriate stance of monetary policy. Four of these meetings are accompanied by a Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) and press conference by the chair.

The Federal Reserve announces its policy decisions at regular FOMC meetings. The announcement typically produces strong market movements in equities, bonds, and commodities such as gold. The meetings and subsequent statement also provide a useful insight into global economic trends. FOMC members review the economy and financial conditions to determine the appropriate monetary policy. The Committee controls open market operations, reserve requirements, and discount rates to control inflation and promote stable employment output.

The Fed’s goal is to bring down inflation to its target of 2% over time. They achieve this by increasing interest rates, which causes businesses and consumers to borrow less money, reducing overall demand for goods and services. This can directly impact your salary, investment returns, and the value of your retirement portfolio. The FOMC meets eight times a year, and their decisions are based on data and market analysis. Transcripts of the meetings are published after each session and are available for download. The transcripts are produced from audio recordings of the meetings and lightly edited for clarity.

The Fed’s decisions affect the growth of money supply, credit conditions, and interest rates. These, in turn, influence economic growth, employment, and the general level of prices. Interest rate traders think the Fed will pause again after its July meeting, but the door is still open for more hikes in the future. Regardless of what happens, investors should prepare for higher interest rates by investing consistently, managing debt carefully, and placing savings into high-yield accounts

FOMC Meeting September

The Federal Reserve will meet to decide on interest rates in September. The decision is likely to be based on the latest economic data. The jobs market has defied expectations of a slowdown, and the Fed will have to weigh support for that sector with the need to fight inflation. The Fed also faces the threat of rising student loan repayments that could dampen consumer spending.

At its meeting in July, the FOMC raised interest rates by a quarter point and signaled that it might raise them again in September. The move was widely expected and marks a return to a normalized rate-hiking campaign after a pause in 2022.

The Fed is trying to reduce inflation by reducing borrowing by businesses and consumers, which in turn cuts overall economic activity. Stock markets don’t like declines in overall activity and are sensitive to interest rate increases. As a result, stocks tend to fall in the weeks leading up to a FOMC meeting.