Overview
- The Federal Reserve is widely expected to maintain its benchmark rate at 4.25–4.50% when it meets on June 17–18, marking a pause that began in December.
- May data showed inflation easing toward 2% and employers added 139,000 jobs, underpinning officials’ reluctance to adjust rates.
- President Trump has demanded an immediate one-percentage-point rate cut and has publicly criticized Chair Jerome Powell with personal insults.
- Global oil prices surged after Israel struck Iran’s nuclear and military sites, heightening the risk of renewed inflation pressures.
- The European Central Bank has cut its benchmark rate eight times this year to 2.0%, widening the policy divide with the US.