President Trump has said he will "demand" lower interest rates, raising questions about his ability to influence the Federal Reserve.

Economists expect the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates unchanged as its Open Market Committee is set to conclude its meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge moved even higher in December, driven in part by rising food and energy prices. However, a closely watched measurement of underlying inflation trends indicated some progress in the fight to rein in price hikes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The American economy ended 2024 on a solid note with consumer spending continuing to drive growth. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product — the economy’s output of goods and services — expanded at a 2.3% annual rate from October through December.

Investors react to the Federal Reserve's policy decision and Chairman Jerome Powell's press conference, as well as results from Meta, Microsoft and Tesla.

The U.S. stock market’s so-called fear gauge was rising Wednesday as investors await the outcome of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting. The CBOE Volatility Index, which trades under the ticker VIX,

The Federal Reserve kicked off its second Trump era right where it left off: Doing exactly what it wanted to do, ignoring President Donald Trump’s demands that it lower rates.

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its January meeting following three consecutive rate cuts amid uncertainty over inflation and economic conditions.

The Federal Reserve is nearly certain to keep its key interest rate unchanged at its policy meeting this week, just a few days after President Donald Trump said he would soon demand lower rates.

Fed chair Jerome Powell said he has not talked with Trump since the president demanded last week “interest rates drop immediately.”

The week's investing action plan includes a strong dose of pharma and biotech earnings, January econ reports, plus Amazon and Alphabet.