Federal Reserve Leaves Rates Unchanged at March 18, 2026 Meeting

By Tom Burnett CFA
On March 18, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) voted to leave the Fed Funds range at 3.5-3.75%. The vote was 11-1 with one member voting for a reduction of one-quarter point. The FOMC statement reiterates the goal of reducing the Core inflation rate from the current 2.7% level to 2.0% over the next 12 to 18 months. The Fed also released its latest quarterly set of economic projections. It now sees GDP growth in the range 0f 2% to 2.5% over the years 2026 and 2027 with inflation setting in at 2.0% in 2027.

The next FOMC Meeting is set for April 29, 2026.
Tom Burnett CFA is Director of Research