The Federal Reserve released minutes from its September 15–16 meeting, indicating that most officials support another interest rate hike in 2026. The FOMC previously raised the benchmark rate by 0.25 percentage point to a range of 3.75% to 4.00% in a unanimous 12–0 vote.
Market reactions to the release were muted for stocks and gold, while Bitcoin showed a slight increase. The S&P 500 fell 0.02% to 7,801, and gold traded near $4,110 per ounce. Bitcoin rose 0.18% to $83,306 on Binance shortly after the announcement.
Several Fed officials noted that current rates are only mildly restrictive. Participants also highlighted that the scale of AI infrastructure spending, including data centers and chips, continues to exceed expectations. Inflation risks remain tilted toward higher prices.
The Fed's next meeting is scheduled for October 27–28. Investors are awaiting September consumer price data, due on October 14, to gauge future policy. Following the September rate hike, crypto funds recorded inflows of $3.55 billion, the highest weekly total in 2026.
