US Fed minutes point to rate hike 'fairly soon'

Seventeen policymakers deliberate at each meeting on whether to change the interest rate

Many Federal Reserve policymakers said it may be appropriate to raise interest rates again “fairly soon” should jobs and inflation data come in line with expectations, according to the minutes of the Fed’s last policy meeting released on Wednesday.

The minutes of the January 31-February 1 discussion, at which the US central bank voted to keep rates unchanged, also showed the depth of uncertainty at the Fed because of a lack of clarity on the new Trump administration’s economic program.

“Many participants expressed the view that it might be appropriate to raise the federal funds rate again fairly soon if incoming information