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Fed Chair Powell's testimony to be watched for any hint on rate-cut timing
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FILE - An American flag is seen in Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell's glasses as he speaks at a news conference at the Federal Reserve, Dec. 13, 2023, in Washington. On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, Powell testifies to the House Financial Services Committee on the first of two days of semi-annual testimony to Congress. - photo by AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File
WASHINGTON (AP) — When will the Federal Reserve start cutting interest rates this year, and by how much? With the economy and inflation running hotter than expected, those questions will seize attention Wednesday, when Fed Chair Jerome Powell begins two days of testimony to Congress. The financial markets are consumed with divining the timing of the Fed's first cut to its benchmark rate, which stands at a 23-year high of about 5.4%.