The federal funds rate is a benchmark that influences other interest rates throughout the economy. The Federal Reserve doesn't control the federal funds rate directly. Instead, it uses various monetary policy tools to steer the benchmark toward a target range, which is currently 4.75% to 5%.

While Wall Street is talking itself in circles about whether the Federal Reserve will kick off its rate-cutting cycle with a larger half-point cut, the latest updates on the economy were enough to boost the stock market.

The Federal Reserve, in its meeting, slashed key interest rates by 50 bps to 4.75%-5% after holding it at a 23-year high for 14 consecutive months since July 2023. This marked the first rate cut since 2020 to address slowing economic growth and showed greater confidence in the fact that inflation is moving sustainably toward the 2% target level.