Fed lowers interest rates by 25bp

The Federal Open Market Committee voted to lower target interest rates by 25 basis points to a range of 3.75% to 4.0%.

Statement: The FOMC said:

• Economic activity has been expanding at a moderate pace.

• Job gains have slowed this year, and the unemployment rate has edged up but remained low.

• Inflation has increased since earlier in the year and remains somewhat elevated.

Dissenting Votes: Voting against the action were Stephen Miran, who advocated lowering the target range for the federal funds rate by 50 basis points, and Jeffrey Schmid, who advocated no change to the target range at this meeting.

Powell Comments: Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said the FOMC will continue to determine the appropriate stance of monetary policy based on the incoming data and differing views for how to proceed. “A further reduction in the policy rate at the December meeting is not a forgone conclusion—far from it,” he said.