The US Federal Reserve is set to leave interest rates steady at today's policy 2003's meeting but policymakers' future course is more unclear.
Wall Street is united in forecasting that the Fed will keep the federal funds rate, charged on overnight loans between banks, at a 45-year low of 1 per cent while a recovering US economy gathers strength.
What some economists are wondering is whether language adopted in August pledging low rates for a "considerable period" might be dropped - a development that likely would be seen as policymakers' first signal to prepare for rate rises.
Even if that unusually explicit language is scrapped in the post-meeting statement, no one is forecasting a rate increase any time soon.
In fact, most of the 22 big Wall Street firms that deal directly with the Fed in the markets expect rates to be on hold until at least mid-2004.
The US central bank's policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee was set to begin the eighth and final meeting of 2003 at 7 p.m. (Irish time) and to announce a decision at about 15 minutes later.