US Fed Meeting 2025: Date, Time, What To Expect And How To Watch Jerome Powell's Speech Live

The United States Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is holding its scheduled meeting on May 6-7. This meeting of the US Federal Reserve, led by Jerome Powell, will evaluate current economic conditions of the world’s most powerful economy.

During this session, FOMC will consider whether changes to the interest rates are necessary, which could impact the direction of the US monetary policy. The current rates of 4.25% to 4.5% remain unchanged since December 2024.

The FOMC typically meets eight times annually to discuss matters related to US inflation and interest rates. However, this will be one of the most closely watched Fed outcomes, particularly by the US President Donald Trump, who wants the rates to be slashed, according to reports.

After the conclusion of the two-day meeting, the FOMC will announce its policy decisions at 2 PM Eastern time on May 7 (11:30 p.m. IST). The press conference following the meeting by Powell will be streamed live on the official YouTube channel of the Fed Reserve and NDTV Profit's YouTube channel.

The Federal Reserve will also live stream the press conference on its official social media platforms, allowing the public and investors to track the live updates. 

• Federal Reserve YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/federalreserve 

• Federal Reserve X (formerly Twitter) handle: https://x.com/federalreserve 

• Federal Reserve official website: https://www.federalreserve.gov/live-broadcast.htm

With their eye on inflation, Fed officials are inclined to hold rates steady. But this move will come in contraction to Trump’s repeated pressure on the central bank for an interest-rate cut. A rate cut by the US Fed would mean borrowing gets cheaper. As spending increases, more money flows into the economy, boosting economic activity, which is a key priority for Trump. However, when inflation is high, central banks raise rates to cool down spending and reduce money circulation.

The Federal Reserve is expected to keep rates steady this time due to a strong US labour market, with April adding 1,77,000 jobs. Further, gradually easing inflation is expected to solidify this stance as officials could prioritise price stability.

"We expect Powell to push back against market pricing and signal a renewed priority on price stability. Officials like Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin and Fed Governor Adriana Kugler have voiced concerns that inflation expectations may be loosening. Add to that the solid April payroll print and there’s little pressure for a near-term cut," economists Anna Wong, Stuart Paul, Eliza Winger, Estelle Ou and Chris G Collins, told Bloomberg ahead of the key meeting.