Fed Raises Interest Rates; Balance Sheet Reductions Imminent

Originally published on May 4, 2022, by Howard Schneider and Ann Saphir for Reuters.

WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark overnight interest rate by half a percentage point, the biggest jump in 22 years, and the U.S. central bank's chief made an appeal to Americans struggling with high inflation to be patient while officials take the hard measures to bring it under control.

In a widely expected move, the Fed set its target federal funds rate to a range between 0.75% and 1% in a unanimous decision, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell said policymakers were ready to approve half-percentage-point rate hikes at upcoming policy meetings in June and July.

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