(Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to hold its benchmark overnight interest rate steady in the 5.25%-5.50% range at the end of a two-day meeting on Wednesday, with the release of a new policy statement scheduled at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT). Fed Chair Jerome Powell will hold a press conference half an hour later. With new economic...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. central bankers began spreading rate-cut fever late last year, with the economy seemingly on a clear path back to low inflation and officials projecting a steady drop in borrowing costs this year, but since then the policymaking process has essentially ground to a halt. The Federal Reserve's benchmark overnight interest rate has not budged from the...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An announcement from the Federal Reserve to kick off the end game for its balance sheet runoff could come as early as this week's policy meeting, a number of economists say, though an uncertain outlook for interest rates amid sticky inflation could push a tapering declaration back to June. Tapering involves slowing the pace of the...

By Kanupriya Kapoor SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Relatively lower inflation in Asia means the region's central banks can focus more on domestic conditions and less on what the U.S. Federal Reserve might do when setting monetary policy, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday. The region is heading for a soft landing thanks to rapid disinflation creating room for easing monetary policies,...