Fed Rate Hike Bets Range From June To December

Disappointing data from the U.S. coupled with uncertainty about how inflation will progress has given analysts reason to doubt their predictions for when the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates.

While most are still betting that the bank will tighten within the year, expectations for when the increase will take place are all over the map.

Yellen's Remarks Conflicting

Related Link: Fed Statement: Play-By-Play Recap Of Janet Yellen And "Patient" Mania

But days later, Fed Chair Janet Yellen remarked that removing that word didn't mean the bank was going to be impatient, and they would take a "gradualist approach" to raising rates.

Expectations Postponed

Following Yellen's remarks, labor data from the U.S. showed a slowdown in hiring, prompting many to revise their projections for a rate hike. A Wall Street Journal poll conducted this week showed that 65 percent of the economists surveyed are now expecting rates to rise in September.

However, Reuters reported that futures traders predicted a December hike when surveyed on Tuesday, but shifted their bets to October the following day.

June Still A Possibility

Fed official William Dudley remarked on Wednesday that a June rate hike is not out of the question. He said that data reports over the next two months will be crucial in determining whether or not the economy can withstand a rate hike and that raising rates in June is still a possibility.

Analysts Unsure