Dollar steady after Fed hold leaves rate path murky

The US dollar remained relatively steady on Thursday after the Federal Reserve maintained interest rates, as expected. However, the central bank's decision to postpone any rate changes until after the midterm elections, coupled with its positive assessment of the economy's growth, left investors uncertain about future policy directions.

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh suggested that inflation could be brought down to the 2% target without impeding growth or increasing unemployment, which helped traders to reduce expectations for rate hikes in 2027. The euro experienced a slight decline against the US dollar, while the dollar strengthened against the yen, increasing to ¥158.045.

Warsh's lack of clarity on a potential December rate hike raised concerns among traders, who previously anticipated a 78% chance of a December hike according to the FedWatch tool. The Treasury yield curve steepened as Warsh's comments were perceived as less hawkish than expected. Warsh announced that the Fed would set aside two meetings in 2027 and 2028 to discuss major issues facing the institution, without using them to consider policy changes.

Analysts noted that this move could lead to more extreme and volatile market movements in the future. Attention now turns to the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan, which are both expected to maintain interest rates unchanged during their upcoming meetings.