Unanimous Fed Vote Shows Intention to Preserve Independence

0521 GMT - The Federal Reserve's unanimous vote Wednesday on an interest-rate hike is key, demonstrating that the Fed intends to preserve its independence in the face of potential political interference, says Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management's Michael Nizard in a note. "Growth has, in fact, held up better than expected, driven in particular by investment and the dynamism of sectors linked to artificial intelligence," the head of multi-asset and overlay says. The labor market, too, remains close to equilibrium, with no deterioration significant enough to justify maintaining an accommodative policy, Nizard says. At the same time, inflation is not moving close enough to the 2% central bank target, while geopolitical uncertainty adds to these persistent price pressures, fueling the rise in energy prices, he says.