Fed’s Mester says too soon to tell if rate hike needed in May: Report

Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank President Loretta Mester has said it was too early to tell whether the US central bank would raise its benchmark interest rate at its next policy meeting in early May. Mester said she still saw “somewhat more persistent” inflation than the median forecast of her colleagues, and pointed to uncertainty over the duration and magnitude of recent financial sector difficulties. In March, the Fed raised interest rates to between 4.75% and 5%, indicating there may not be another peak rate rise.