Traders Now See Rate Hike as More Likely Than Rate Cut This Year -- WSJ

Dow Jones03:21

By Sam Goldfarb

Wall Street traders are betting that there is a small chance that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year, after central bank officials sent some hawkish signals on Wednesday.

Interest-rate futures showed Wednesday afternoon that traders see a 11% chance that the Fed will raise rates this year, according to CME Group data, up from 5% earlier in the day and zero percent on Tuesday. The chance of a rate cut was hovering around 2%.

The Fed on Wednesday maintained language in its policy statement suggesting that an interest-rate cut is more likely than a rate hike in the months ahead. However, three Fed presidents formally objected to that language, and Fed chair Jerome Powell indicated that it could be removed as soon as the next meeting, as inflation remains stubbornly high.

This item is part of a Wall Street Journal live coverage event. The full stream can be found by searching P/WSJL (WSJ Live Coverage).

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 29, 2026 15:21 ET (19:21 GMT)

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