FED OFFICIALS MAINTAIN RATE OUTLOOK, SIGNAL MODEST CUTS AHEAD Federal officials kept their median forecasts for the federal funds rate unchanged: 3.6% for end-2025, 3.4% for 2026, and 3.1% for both 2027 and 2028, with a 3.0% longer-run estimate. Projections imply 25-basis-point cuts in both 2026 and 2027, though views on the path ahead diverge widely. Policymakers expect 4.4% unemployment in 2026, PCE inflation easing to 2.4%, and GDP growth rising to 2.3%.(*Walter Bloomberg)