... easing monetary policy. At its meeting on July 30, the Federal Reserve maintained its base rate at 4.25–4.50% for the fifth consecutive time, signaling a prolonged pause. Despite inflation still being relatively high (around 3% according to the core PCE index), the Fed noted a slowdown in economic growth (the forecast for US GDP growth in 2025 has been revised downward to approximately 1.4%) and a moderate cooling in the labor market. Fresh data on unemployment claims (rising to 226,000 for the week) ...