**[Federal Reserve October Rate Hike Suspense Intensifies: Market Bets on Holding Steady, Economists Warn Decision Far from Clear]** Gold Finance reported on October 19 that suspense surrounding the Federal Reserve's next interest rate decision is increasing. In recent weeks, investors have generally expected the Fed to hold steady during its October 27-28 meeting, but the latest inflation data, which exceeded expectations, has challenged this assumption. Currently, the futures market assigns only about a 17% probability to an October rate hike. However, some economists believe the market may be underestimating the likelihood of the Fed tightening policy again. Ethan Harris, former chief economist at BofA Securities, stated in an interview: "I think this is a 50-50 decision." He believes the Fed should raise rates but also pointed out that the Federal Reserve's policy committee has been relatively dovish and may be reluctant to tighten policy again in such a short timeframe. In September, the Fed raised interest rates for the first time in three years, ending its previous policy direction of gradual rate cuts in 2024 and 2025 as inflation concerns eased. At the time, officials viewed this rate hike as the beginning of a limited tightening plan aimed at further reducing inflation rather than responding to a sudden surge in inflation. However, September's inflation data exceeded expectations, altering the context of policy discussions. Some economists believe that if price pressures continue to expand, the Fed may need to act faster than originally planned. Matthew Martin, U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, told MarketWatch: "I think there is indeed a possibility of a rate hike at the October meeting. We expect the Fed to raise rates in both October and December."