Traders firm up bets on Fed rate hike in May

Traders firm up bets on Fed rate hike in May
An eagle tops the U.S. Federal Reserve building's facade in Washington

(Reuters) – Traders of futures tied to the Federal Reserve’s policy rate on Friday firmed up bets the U.S. central bank will raise its benchmark rate a final time in May after the government reported core inflation rose 4.6% in March from a year earlier.

U.S. short-term interest rate futures were down slightly after the report, reflecting about a 90% chance of a quarter-of-a-percentage-point rate hike in May. The current target range is 4.75%-5.00%.

(Reporting by Ann Saphir)

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