Federal Reserve officials are poised to keep interest rates steady for a sixth consecutive meeting and signal no plans for cuts in the near future after higher-than-expected inflation. The Federal Open Market Committee will hold the target range for its benchmark rate at 5.25% to 5.5% — a two-decade high first reached in July — at the conclusion of its two-day policy meeting Wednesday. The rate decision, and possibly an announcement on the pace of its balance-sheet reduction program, will be released at 2 p.m. in Washington. Chair Jerome Powell will hold a press conference 30 minutes later. Policymakers are reluctant ... (full story)