There is speculation surrounding the upcoming decision by the Federal Reserve on whether to cut its benchmark lending rate by 25 or 50 basis points. However, what is certain is that the U.S. central bank will be entering its first easing cycle since 2019. This move will align the Federal Reserve with other major Western central banks, such as the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, and the Bank of Canada, all of which have already implemented interest rate cuts, with some having done so multiple times.
Although Japan has not yet followed suit and has actually taken initial steps toward tightening, its benchmark policy rate of 0.25% is only a few basis points above zero. This contrast highlights the diverging monetary policies among major global central banks, with some opting for easing measures while others are considering or already implementing tightening strategies.
