Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by quarter point in December

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced its third straight interest rate cut, lowering the benchmark rate by 25 basis points amid economic data showing that inflation remains above the central bank's target rate.

With the 25-basis-point cut, the benchmark federal funds rate will sit at a range of 4.25% to 4.5%. The Fed's move follows a 25-basis-point cut in November and a larger-than-normal cut of 50 basis points at its September meeting, which was the first reduction in rates since March 2020 and brought them down from a range of 5.25% to 5.5% — the highest level since 2001.