Federal Reserve officials, in their first public comments since the U.S. central bank cut interest rates by half a percentage point, laid out on Friday the depth of the debate over the move, with one governor saying inflation was now so weak the large reduction was needed and another arguing price pressures remain so strong a smaller cut would have been better.

A Federal Reserve official predicted quarter point rate cuts if data looked ‘fine’. But he also set out a scenario for a pause — or faster reductions.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said favorable inflation data, and not worries about the labor market, are what convinced him to support policymakers’ decision to lower interest rates by a half percentage point this week.

We’re at a point where the economy is strong, inflation is coming down, and we want to keep it that way,” Waller said during an interview with CNBC on Friday. Waller has se

A top Federal Reserve official warned Friday that the central bank risks prematurely declaring victory over inflation with its vote for a jumbo interest rate cut. Fed Governor Michelle Bowman was the sole dissented voice on the Federal Open Market Committee in its 11-1 decision to slash rate by 50 basis points instead of a quarter-point cut on Wednesday.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said Friday he backed a 50-basis-point interest-rate cut at this week's Federal Open Market Committee meeting, citing a steeper-than-expected decline in inflation.

The New York Stock Exchange's main indexes open slightly lower on Sept. 20, as investors paused following a jump caused by an unusual interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve.

Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, has voiced concerns that the recent U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut could have been politically motivated to influence upcoming elections, potentially leading to increased market volatility and inflation.