FOMC countdown: next Fed rate decision

What is the FOMC?

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is the body of the Federal Reserve that sets US monetary policy. It has twelve voting members: the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and four of the other eleven Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms in rotation.

The committee sets a target range for the federal funds rate, the rate banks charge each other for overnight loans, and decides on the size of the Fed’s securities holdings. Its decisions influence borrowing costs across the economy and are among the most important events of the year for global markets.

Covers selected US releases only. A day without events here may still have other economic data.

When are FOMC decisions announced?

The FOMC holds eight scheduled meetings a year, roughly every six weeks. Most last two days. The policy statement, with the vote and the new target range, is released at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day, and the Chair holds a press conference at 2:30 p.m. In UTC the statement comes out at 18:00 during US daylight saving time and 19:00 in winter; the press conference starts at 18:30 and 19:30.

Four meetings a year, in March, June, September and December, also publish the Summary of Economic Projections, which includes each participant’s projection for the federal funds rate, known as the dot plot. The minutes of each meeting are released three weeks later at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The committee can also meet or act between scheduled meetings when conditions require it. Such unscheduled decisions cannot be known in advance and are not shown here. The Federal Reserve publishes its meeting dates well ahead, but the exact release time of a statement is confirmed on its monthly calendar; until then TickClock shows the meeting date with “time to be confirmed” and no countdown.

How do markets react to the Fed?

Markets usually price the expected decision well in advance, so attention often focuses on the wording of the statement, the dot plot and the Chair’s answers at the press conference. US dollar pairs, gold, Treasury yields, US stock indexes and cryptocurrencies can all move sharply from 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time onward, and again during the press conference.

TickClock does not predict decisions or market moves. The page only shows when the statement and press conference are scheduled, so you can plan around them in your own time zone.

Release time around the world

US daylight saving time runs from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November. In cities that change their clocks on other dates, the time differs for a week or two in spring and autumn.

FOMC release dates 2026–2027

All dates and times as published by the BLS and the Federal Reserve. Times in UTC and Eastern Time.

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