Fed Expected to Hold Rates, Announce Tapering and Offer 'Transitory' Dot Plot (news: 20/09/17)

Today's press

• Fed Expected to Hold Rates, Announce Tapering and Offer 'Transitory' Dot Plot

  Investing.com – The Federal Reserve is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at its current range of 1.00% to 1.25% in its announcement at 2:00PM ET (18:00GMT) on Wednesday and also reveal its plans for the winding down, or tapering, of its asset purchases in order to begin, likely in October, the reduction of its $4.5 trillion balance sheet.

• Australia Ends Double Taxation of Bitcoin, Cryptocurrencies

  The Australian government has finally and conclusively provided a legislative end to the double taxation of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The bill will retroactively be enforced to July 1 of this year, as had been promised earlier in the year.

• Dollar close to 2015 lows as conflicted Fed prepares policy update

  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar edged towards 2-1/2-year lows hit earlier this month on Wednesday, as investors waited to see whether U.S. ratesetters would signal tighter policy or hold off because of tepid inflation data.

• Sterling jumps after UK retail sales beat expectations

  LONDON (Reuters) - Sterling jumped by almost a cent against the dollar on Wednesday after data showed British retail sales surged unexpectedly in August, increasing pressure on the Bank of England to lift interest rates from their record lows.

• JP Morgan Buys Bitcoin After CEO Calls It a 'Fraud'

  JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon made headlines last week for his harsh words on cryptocurrencies, and he saved special vitriol for bitcoin in particular. Of the largest digital currency in the world, the banking boss said the entire enterprise was a "fraud" and suggested he would fire any employee who was caught trading a digital currency because that employee would be "stupid" for doing so.

• German Election Shaken Up by Thyssenkrupp-Tata Deal

  Just four days before Germans head to the polls, the prospect of job cuts at one of the country’s most iconic companies has galvanized political opposition.