12月美联储议息会议点评：利率如期三连降，明年空间几何？

Group 1: Federal Reserve Actions - The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by 25 basis points, marking the third consecutive rate cut, bringing the target range to 3.50% to 3.75%[1] - Starting December 12, the Fed will initiate a monthly purchase plan of approximately $40 billion in short-term Treasury bonds to maintain liquidity in the banking system[3] Group 2: Economic Indicators - The unemployment rate has slightly increased to 4.4% as of September, higher than market expectations, despite non-farm payrolls adding 119,000 jobs, exceeding the forecast of 50,000[2] - GDP growth forecasts for 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028 have been revised upward to 1.7%, 2.3%, 2.0%, and 1.9% respectively, compared to previous estimates of 1.6%, 1.8%, 1.9%, and 1.8%[4] - PCE inflation expectations for 2025 and 2026 have been lowered to 2.9% and 2.4%, down from 3.0% and 2.6% respectively, while core PCE inflation expectations remain stable[4] Group 3: Future Projections - The median interest rate forecast remains unchanged for 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028 at 3.6%, 3.4%, 3.1%, and 3.1% respectively[5] - The dot plot indicates a consensus for a potential additional 25 basis point cut next year, with some members predicting a more aggressive reduction[8] Group 4: Market Reactions - U.S. stock indices closed higher, with the Dow Jones up 1.05%, S&P 500 up 0.67%, and Nasdaq up 0.33% following the Fed's announcement[10] - Gold prices increased by 0.52% to $4,258.30 per ounce, while the U.S. dollar index fell by 0.60% to 98.64[10]