BlockBeats News, March 26 — According to a survey by Reuters, economists believe the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged until September. However, despite ongoing concerns about inflation triggered by the Middle East conflict, these economists still expect at least one rate cut later this year. In contrast, financial markets have completely ruled out the possibility of a rate cut this year and believe there is nearly a 30% chance of rate hikes this year. The ongoing war between Israel and Iran has lasted for four weeks, causing crude oil prices to rise by over 40%.
Economists expect the impact of this energy shock to be limited and short-lived. In the Reuters survey, there was a clear divergence among economists regarding interest rate levels by the end of 2026, roughly divided into four groups: 28 expect one rate cut, 37 expect two cuts, while 13 believe rates will stay unchanged this year, and 4 predict three rate cuts. (Jin10)