The US Federal Reserve is poised to announce a fresh quarter percentage-point hike to its benchmark lending rate on Wednesday to tackle inflation, while keeping the option open for more such moves in the coming months. The Fed last month halted its aggressive campaign of monetary tightening after 10 consecutive rate increases to give policymakers more time to assess the health of the world’s largest economy. At the June meeting, members of the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) nevertheless indicated they see possibly two additional interest rate hikes this year. “The forecast is for the Federal Open ... (full story)