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March 18, 2026
Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged and continued to expect one rate cut this year, acknowledging increased uncertainty due to the war in the Middle East.
“The implications of developments in the Middle East for the U.S. economy are uncertain,” officials said Wednesday in a post-meeting statement. “The committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate.”
The Federal Open Market Committee voted 11-1 to hold the benchmark federal funds rate in a range of 3.5% to 3.75%. Governor Stephen Miran dissented, calling for a quarter-point reduction.
This marks the second time officials held rates in place, though the economic backdrop has changed significantly since their last meeting. In January, policymakers signaled growing confidence that the unemployment rate was stabilizing. Soon after, several officials sounded intent on holding rates for an extended period to help nudge inflation lower.
Then came a weak February employment report that cast fresh doubt on the steadiness of the labor market. U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran that began on February 28 have also caused global oil prices to surge, threatening to boost inflation and undermine growth and employment.
Officials dropped language from their January statement describing the labor market as showing signs of stabilization. In its place, they said the unemployment rate was “little changed in recent months.” 2026-03-18 18:00:01 GMT (Bloomberg)
Euro traded at 1.1517 against USD at 9:00 AM PST
Eurozone inflation rose in February, driven by faster growth in the service sector and a moderation in energy cost declines. The harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) registered an annual increase of 1.9% after rising 1.7% in January.
Core inflation that excludes energy, food, alcohol, and tobacco increased to 2.4 from 2.2% a month ago. Services’ inflation rose to 3.4% from 3.2% in January, and the increase in non-energy industrial goods accelerated to 0.7% from 0.4%.
At the same time, energy prices fell at a pace of 3.1%, slower than the 4.0% drop in the previous month. Prices of food, alcohol and tobacco rose 2.5%, following the 2.6% rise seen a month ago. 03/18/2026 - 06:24:00 (RTTNews)
The Bank of Canada (BoC) on Wednesday announced to leave interest rates unchanged for the third time. They decided to maintain their target for the overnight rate at 2.25%, with the Bank Rate at 2.5% and the deposit rate at 2.20%.
The BoC said it has decided to leave rates unchanged as risks to growth look tilted to the downside, while inflation risks have also gone up due to higher energy prices. The BoC also said it is closely monitoring the unfolding conflict in the Middle East and assessing its impact on growth and inflation.
The Canadian central bank said it stands ready to respond as needed as the outlook evolves and reiterated its commitment to ensuring Canadians continue to have confidence in price stability through this period of global upheaval. 03/18/2026 - 10:00:00 (RTTNews)
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