What is the FOMC — why markets swing at dawn

The FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) is the Fed body that sets the US benchmark rate. It meets eight times a year, and decisions land around 3–4am Korea time — which is why, for Korean investors, it is the classic 'the market changed while I slept' event.

What to watch

• The rate decision: hold/hike/cut and the size in basis points.
• The dot plot: where members expect rates to go.
• The press conference: the chair's tone — words like 'cautious' or 'data-dependent'.
• The minutes (released 3 weeks later): the texture of the debate, which can move markets after the fact.

VERITAS TICKER covers these events only through the lens of 'what happened and why.' We do not predict direction or recommend trades.

The key is less the decision itself than 'how it differed from expectations.' Even a hold can trigger selling if the market had priced in a cut.