The first FOMC meeting of 2024 is Tuesday and Wednesday, January 30-31. Fed policymakers are expected to hold the fed funds target rate at 5.25-5.50 percent, pausing in the current rate cycle for the fourth meeting in a row. The FOMC will not outright say that rates have peaked, but it is likely the case with signs of a slowdown in economic growth, a cooling in the labor market as it rebalances, and as inflation makes its bumpy way back toward the 2 percent inflation objective. The meeting statement at 14:00 ET on Wednesday should be quite similar to that issued on December 13. The statement will no doubt reflect the ... (full story)