US Dollar Rises as Federal Reserve Minutes Show Policymakers Are in No Rush to Cut Rates

The Federal Reserve released minutes today, February 19, 2026, showing that policymakers were not in a rush to cut interest rates and that several were open to hikes if inflation remained sticky. This guidance immediately altered market expectations about the near-term path of interest rates in the United States US, which lifted the dollar and pushed U.S. yields higher. The shift in tone produced immediate moves across major currencies and bond yields as investors adjusted to the possibility of a more prolonged period of restrictive policy.