The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates steady through the first half of 2025, with economists in a Bloomberg News survey predicting the central bank will begin easing monetary policy with two rate cuts starting in September. Uncertainty surrounding President Trump’s trade policies has led analysts to trim growth forecasts while nudging up inflation expectations. New tariffs on key trading partners such as China, Canada and Mexico have unsettled financial markets and raised concerns about stagflation — the risk that slower economic growth could coincide with persistent inflation.
