This story was originally published on Builder.
The Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee on Wednesday took the target range for the federal funds rate to 3/4% to 1%, the first hike of 2017.
The OMC said the stance of monetary policy remains accommodative, thereby supporting some further strengthening in labor market conditions and a sustained return to 2% inflation.
Regarding its read on the economy, the Fed said the labor market has continued to strengthen and economic activity has continued to expand at a moderate pace. "Job gains remained solid and the unemployment rate was little changed in recent months. Household spending has continued to rise moderately while business fixed investment appears to have firmed somewhat. Inflation has increased in recent quarters, moving close to the Committee's 2% longer-run objective; excluding energy and food prices, inflation was little changed and continued to run somewhat below 2%. Market-based measures of inflation compensation remain low; survey-based measures of longer-term inflation expectations are little changed, on balance."
The Fed said it expects that "with gradual adjustments in the stance of monetary policy, economic activity will expand at a moderate pace, labor market conditions will strengthen somewhat further, and inflation will stabilize around 2% over the medium term. Near-term risks to the economic outlook appear roughly balanced."
Regard future rate hikes, the Fed said, "The Committee expects that economic conditions will evolve in a manner that will warrant gradual increases in the federal funds rate; the federal funds rate is likely to remain, for some time, below levels that are expected to prevail in the longer run.
