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This story about the Federal Reserve’s July 2026 interest rate decision is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced that it will hold interest rates steady due to concerns about elevated inflation amid the war in Iran.
Fed policymakers voted 9-3 to leave the benchmark federal funds rate unchanged at its current range of 3.5% to 3.75%. The move follows the central bank’s decision to hold rates steady in January, March, April and June following three successive 25-basis-point rate cuts in September, October and December to close out last year.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the central bank’s panel responsible for monetary policy moves, noted that “economic activity is expanding at a solid pace despite elevated uncertainty that owes, in part, to the conflict in the Middle East.”
Policymakers noted that inflation remains above the Fed’s 2% goal, in part because of supply shocks driving price increases in sectors such as energy, and added that they will deliver price stability. The FOMC aloes noted that job growth is keeping pace with the workforce and that the unemployment rate has changed little.
HOW DOES FED CHAIR NOMINEE KEVIN WARSH VIEW THE CENTRAL BANK’S INFLATION GOAL?
Three FOMC members dissented from the decision, including Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari and Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan. Each of the dissenters voted in favor of raising the federal funds rate by 25-basis-points.
The decision was the second under the leadership of Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who has removed forward guidance from the FOMC’s post-meeting statements. Warsh will address a press conference shortly.
