Federal Reserve Dot Plot Shows 16 Officials Expect Rate Hikes in 2026

The Federal Reserve announced today a rate hike of 25 basis points, marking the first increase for 2026. The latest dot plot indicates that out of 19 officials, 18 submitted forecasts, with 16 believing that another rate hike should occur this year. Specifically, 4 officials expect a cumulative increase of 75 basis points by 2026, 12 officials anticipate a cumulative increase of 50 basis points, and 2 officials predict a cumulative increase of 25 basis points. No officials believe that the rate should remain unchanged at 3.5%-3.75% this year, nor do any officials think there should be a cumulative rate cut of 25 basis points.