Markets widely expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates for the fourth time this year at its December meeting. The question is what the central bank will do next year. Recent sticky inflation prints and evidence the US economy is growing at a solid pace have raised doubts that the Fed will bring down rates as quickly as it previously

Powell just a week after the meeting said the economy was "not sending any signals that we need to be in a hurry to lower rates."

Federal Reserve officials appeared divided at their meeting earlier this month over how much farther they may need to cut interest rates, but as a group agreed to avoid giving much guidance from here on about how U.

Despite inflation in some sectors remaining outside the Federal Reserve's benchmark of 2%, officials indicated they are pleased with the current easing of interest rates, and more gradual cuts may follow.

Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s November meeting offered little signal about whether officials would cut interest rates at their next gathering, though they suggested that policymakers did expect to continue to lower borrowing costs “gradually” over time.

Federal Reserve officials appeared divided at their meeting earlier this month over how much farther they may need to cut interest rates, but as a group agreed this was a moment to avoid giving much concrete guidance about how US monetary policy is likely to evolve in the weeks ahead.