Fed hikes rates half point, will shrink assets to curb US inflation

The US central bank will begin allowing its holdings of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities to roll off in June.

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by the steepest increment since 2000 and decided to start shrinking its massive balance sheet, deploying the most aggressive tightening of monetary policy in decades to control soaring inflation.

The U.S. central bank’s policy-making Federal Open Market Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to increase the benchmark rate by a half percentage point. The Fed will begin allowing its holdings of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities to roll off in June at an initial combined monthly pace of $47.5 billion, stepping up over three months to $95 billion.

“The committee is highly attentive to inflation risks,” the Fed