Company Interview / the open: ASX to open higher, Wall Street rallies

The Federal Reserve held the rate decision overnight, leaving interest rates unchanged, with future cuts forecasted. US stocks rallied following the Federal Reserve’s decision to hold interest rates steady, with the Australian share market poised to start higher as ASX futures rose 0.7 per cent. Wednesday's rate announcement uncovered little changes from December's viewpoint, with nine Fed officials looking for two interest rate cuts this year, whilst eight anticipate only one or smaller. Fed Chair Jerome Powell briefly touched on the tariff impact on inflation, deeming that it was too early to judge how much of an impact the U.S. tariffs would have on inflation. All 11 industry sectors across the US finished in the green, with Tesla rising 4.7 per cent, amidst a volatile month for the company. Bitcoin is trading around US$85,608. Locally, a2 Milk Company, Kelsian Group and Cochlear Ltd are amongst the few notable companies trading ex-dividend today. Meanwhile, as well as interpreting the Fed decision, local investors will also have Australia’s February labour force report at 11.30am AEDT.