The Federal Reserve kicked off the year in neutral, opting to keep interest rates unchanged at the conclusion of its policy meeting on Wednesday. The Federal Open Market Committee’s decision to pause its run of lowering interest rates was widely expected by traders,

The Federal Reserve's monetary policy group is expected to hold rates steady, but the chairman will face a litany of questions about the year ahead and on the inflationary impact of implications of the Trump administration's early policy moves.

As widely expected, the Federal Reserve held its policy rate at 4.25%-4.50% on Wednesday, as the Federal Open Market Committee assesses the economy for evidence that a disinflationary trend is continuing.