US Federal Reserve Meeting Outcome Announced: Jerome Powell's Keynote Speech Scheduled for Today

US Federal Reserve Begins Two-Day Policy Meeting

The US Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting kicked off on Tuesday, April 28, during which officials will review the economic outlook and deliberate on the future path of interest rates. The rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which meets eight times a year, evaluates key indicators such as inflation, growth, and employment before deciding on the federal funds rate.

Current Economic Landscape

At its previous meeting on March 17-18, the FOMC kept rates unchanged, maintaining the federal funds rate in the 3.5% to 3.75% range. So far in 2026, the Federal Reserve has held its benchmark rate steady, following a phase of rate cuts in 2024 and 2025. Investors are now watching closely for signals on whether the central bank could restart rate cuts later this year.

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Live Streaming and Scheduling

The policy statement is scheduled to be issued at 2 p.m. ET on April 29, followed by a press conference led by Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve Chair. Investors can tune in to the press conference through the official live stream available on the US Federal Reserve's website: https://www.federalreserve.gov/. The speech will also be broadcast live on the Federal Reserve's official YouTube channel on Wednesday.

India Time Zone

For investors in India, the announcement is scheduled for 11:30 pm. Those looking to track Jerome Powell's remarks after the Federal Open Market Committee policy decision can tune in at 12 am on Wednesday, according to the official schedule. Investors can also watch Powell's speech via the official website links provided above.

Read also: US-Iran Tensions Spark Uptick in Oil Prices Amid Global Market Decline

Market Expectations

Market experts believe the Federal Reserve is expected to maintain status quo on interest rates amid uncertainty stemming from the ongoing US-Iran conflict. As a result, investors will closely track Jerome Powell's tone and the wording of the policy statement for future cues.

Expected Interest Rate Changes

Market experts believe that the upcoming FOMC decision marks the final policy statement under Chair Jerome Powell, and comes at a time when macro uncertainty has materially increased since the March meeting. While the underlying inflation backdrop could have justified a more hawkish stance, the Fed chose to remain measured given the early stages of the Iran conflict and the uncertainty around its economic implications. Against this backdrop, experts expect the upcoming Fed statement to shift more decisively hawkish, with a clear signal that rate cuts are unlikely in 2026 under current conditions.