Factbox-Most brokerages expect Fed to hold rates steady in January meeting

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 07:31 AM EST

(Reuters) -Major brokerages, including BofA and Goldman Sachs, expect the U.S. Federal Reserve to hold interest rates steady in the upcoming January meeting, although a non-farm payrolls (NFP) report later on Friday was expected to offer more clues on the central bank's monetary policy for the year.

After cutting rates by a quarter of a percentage point at the Dec. 17-18 meeting, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said policymakers could now be "cautious" about further reductions.

Here are the forecasts from major brokerages for 2025:

Rate cut estimates (in bps)

Brokerages Jan 2025 2025 Fed Funds Rate

BofA Global No rate cut 50 3.75-4.00% (end of

Research June)

Barclays No rate cut 50 3.75-4.00% (end of

2025)

Goldman Sachs No rate cut 75 (through 3.50-3.75% (through

September September 2025)

2025)

J.P.Morgan No rate cut 75(through 3.50-3.75% (through

September September 2025)

2025)

Morgan Stanley No rate cut 50 (through 3.75-4.00% (through

June 2025) June 2025)

Nomura No rate cut 25 4.00-4.25% (through

end of 2025)

*UBS Global No rate cut 125 3.00-3.25% (through

Research end of 2025)

Deutsche Bank No rate cut No Rate 4.25-4.50%

Cuts

Societe No rate cut - 3.00-3.25% (by early

Generale 2026)

ING No rate cut 75 3.75 - 4.00%

Macquarie No rate cut 25 4.00-4.25%

UBS Global No rate cut 50 3.75-4.00% (end of

Wealth 2025)

Management

Peel Hunt No rate cut 50 3.50-4.00%

* UBS Global Research and UBS Global Wealth Management are distinct, independent divisions in UBS Group

(Compiled by the Broker Research team in Bengaluru; Edited by Shinjini Ganguli, Maju Samuel, Shounak Dasgupta, Devika Syamnath and Anil D'Silva)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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