The United Daily News and Liberty Times reported that the U.S. Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate while signaling a hawkish tone, with markets focused on five key points at the new chair's first news conference—chiefly cautious messaging on the rate path and the inflation outlook.

The hold reads as confirming cooling inflation while staying cautious on early easing. The hawkish remarks partly pared back market expectations for rate cuts.

Taiwanese brokerages judged that even with the Fed's hawkish signal, the broad AI-industry trend is unchanged, though volatility in high-valuation stocks could grow. The same day, Taiwan's market rose sharply, led by TSMC strength.

Impact on Korea and Asia

Fed rate decisions directly affect exchange rates and capital flows in Korea and Asian emerging markets. A firmer hawkish stance could extend dollar strength, pressuring the won and other Asian currencies.

This newspaper compares how U.S., Korean, and Taiwanese markets each read U.S. monetary policy, since the same decision lands differently depending on a market's position.