**Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates by Half a Percentage Point, the Largest Hike Since 2000**.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday, the largest increase since 2000. The move was widely expected by economists and investors, as the Fed tries to combat high inflation..
The Fed’s decision brings the target range for the federal funds rate to 0.75% to 1%. This is still well below the pre-pandemic level of 1.5% to 1.75%, but it is a significant increase from the near-zero levels that prevailed for much of the past two years..
The Fed’s decision was accompanied by a statement that signaled that it is prepared to raise rates further in the coming months. The statement said that the Fed .
