The index that measures the performance of the US dollar against a basket of currencies (Dollar Index) recorded the largest daily rise during the current year 2021, with gains of about 0.90% during the trading session yesterday, Wednesday, June 17, which is the session that the markets have long awaited, as the US Federal Reserve announced its policy cash and its future outlook for growth and inflation. The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, as expected at current levels of 0.25%, and maintained the current program of its asset purchases at $120 billion per month, with its holding of $80 billion in Treasuries and $40 billion in mortgage securities, and renewed its commitment to using all tools to support The American economy is in these circumstances until the goals of employment and inflation are achieved. The US dollar benefited from the change in the timing of the US rate hike, as thirteen out of the eighteen members of the Federal Reserve policy-makers see that interest levels may rise twice by the end of the year 2023, unlike the last meeting of the US Federal Reserve that saw the release of economic forecasts in March where There were only seven members who believed that interest levels may rise only once by the end of the year 2023, while the majority were, although interest rates should not be raised until 2024, and therefore this change was the most important factor in the meeting of the US Federal Reserve. The Fed’s Monetary Policy Committee members presented their expectations for GDP growth, unemployment rates and inflation for the current year and the next two years, as the committee members’ expectations came as follows.
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
GDP growth
Expectations of last March’s meeting |
7.0%
6.5% |
3.3%
3.3% |
2.4%
2.2% |
unemployment rates
Expectations of last March’s meeting |
4.5%
4.5% |
3.8%
3.9% |
3.5%
3.5% |
PCE inflation
Expectations of last March’s meeting |
3.4%
2.4% |
2.1%
2.0% |
2.2%
2.1% |
The expectations of the members of the committee compared to their expectations at the March 2021 meeting