美联储维持基准利率不变

To raise or not to raise. That was the question as Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen arrived for the second and final day of discussions.

But in a 9 to 1 vote the Fed officials decided the economy is not quite strong enough to handle a rise, as Janet Yellen explained.

US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen says, "In light of heightened uncertainties abroad and the slightly softer expected path for inflation the committee judged it appropriate to wait for more evidence."

There's never an obvious, easy time to raise rates. But the feeling was now is certainly not the right moment.

Several weeks of volatile global stocks markets, prompted by problems in China and the devaluing of its currency, left many Fed watchers, like Douglas McIntyre of 24/7 Wall St, convinced a September rise was not viable.

"Outside the United States, the facts right now, the stock markets, the price of oil, currencies, so I think they had an eye on China where there could be a lot of trouble."

The Fed has left rates unchanged at nearly zero since the 2008 financial crisis.

On Thursday it said it still wants to see a stronger labor market and feel more confident of a return to 2% inflation.

Ahead of the announcement Wall St rallied, seemingly convinced a rate hike was no longer likely.

Yet some analysts like Charles Ortel, the Managing Director of Newport Value Partners, feel the Fed needs to get on with what it's been threatening, in an attempt to help balance the books.

"People are beginning to understand that equities, common stock prices, the prices are pushed way too high. And they've been supported by these low interest rates. Governments cannot keep them forever low. When governments get in trouble, when currencies get in trouble, they have to raise interest rates and that's what we're in now, a global interconnected financial crisis."

The Fed next meet in October, but there are some predictions that rates may now be on hold until the new year.

Douglas McIntyre adds, "You're not going to have a big change in the American economy in the next 3, 5, 6 months because there's no catalyst. What's going to happen? And the answer is nothing. So again I think the Fed is looking outside the US and asking themselves the governors, are there things that could impact the entire world."

The run up to this Fed D-Day has really been all about the hype.

Months of anticipation, weeks of speculation.

But when it came down to it the Fed decision day was like every other in recent years - no change for interest rates.