FOMC

S-REITs likely to go off the boil in response to rebound in US risk-free rates

The Fed faces, and will continue to face, a tricky communication challenge

(Feb 1): Federal Reserve officials, meeting for the last time under Chair Janet Yellen, left borrowing costs unchanged while adding emphasis to their plan for more hikes, setting the stage for an increase in March under her successor Jerome Powell.

WASHINGTON (May 25): Most Federal Reserve officials judged “it would soon be appropriate” to tighten monetary policy again and backed a plan that would gradually shrink their US$4.5 trillion ($6.2 trillion) balance sheet.

WASHINGTON (May 4): Federal Reserve officials remained on track to gradually tighten monetary policy after leaving interest rates unchanged and signaling they were not alarmed by recent US economic weakness.

SINGAPORE (July 11): UOB Group says the US economy’s “remarkable recovery” in June bolsters its expectations of at least one rate hike this year, specifically in December.