No change. The Federal Reserve holding

rate steady in the range of 3 and a half

to 3 and 3/4% but officials signaling

that they could be content to hold RAID

steady for the rest of the year, but

look like they could also be on the

verge of one hike this year. I say that

because only 18 members of the 19 member

FOMC participated in that so-called dot

plot. And when we looked at the

different projections, it was right in

the middle between holding rates steady

and hiking once this year. Breaking down

all those projections, eight officials

see holding rates steady this year.

Three officials see one rate hike, five

see two rate hikes and one sees four

hikes. Now the Fed dramatically

shortened its policy statement, dropping

its easing bias altogether. So no

forward guidance in that statement.

Officials also noted in the statement

that the economy is expanding at a quote

solid pace despite elevated uncertainty

owed in part to the conflict in the

Middle East. They said that inflation

remains elevated in part due to supply

shocks that have driven up price

increases in certain sectors including

energy. The statement said quote the

committee will deliver price stability.

Now officials see inflation much higher

this year than previously. Headline seen

rising to 3.6% 6% this year compared

with 27 previously on a core basis which

strips out those volatile food and

energy prices. Officials see inflation

rising 3.3% this year. Now the Fed

expects lower GDP by 2/10en of a

percentage point than previously uh with

the economy growing at 2.2% versus 2.4%.

The unemployment rate expected to hold

at its current level of 4.3%

and that's down a tick from uh previous

projections from 4.4. Harper set.