US Fed Meeting 2026 LIVE: The United States Federal Reserve began its two-day Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on 17 March, with its policy decision due today, on 18 March. US Fed Chair Jerome Powell is expected to address the media after the meeting to announce the policy decision.
Market experts anticipate the US Fed is likely to keep the interest rate unchanged in the upcoming FOMC March 2026 meeting, as markets remain sensitive to oil prices amid the US-Iran war.
The FOMC is expected to will assess key economic indicators, including inflation trends and labour market conditions, before announcing its interest rate decision. Notably, this will mark the first meeting of the US central bank since the US-Iran war.
The US Fed’s benchmark interest rate currently stands in the range of 3.5% to 3.75%. At its January meeting, the Fed opted to hold rates unchanged. Before that, it announced three consecutive rate cuts of 0.25% each in an effort to prevent the cooling job market from deteriorating into higher unemployment.
When is the US Fed meeting announcement?
The policy statement will be released at 2 pm ET on 18 March, followed by a press conference addressed by Powell. For investors in India, this will be 12.30 am IST onwards, an hour later than usual due to Daylight Saving Time in the US.
Where can you watch the US Fed meet announcement?
- You can watch Powell’s press conference address via the official live stream on the US Federal Reserve’s website here — https://www.federalreserve.gov/.
- OR on the US Fed’s official YouTube channel here — https://www.youtube.com/federalreserve.
Stay with Livemint for the latest news, developments and updates on the US Federal Reserve’s FOMC meeting outcome.
