Reuters Hawish or dovish? Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says the central bank is trying to find the “middle ground”on how to fast to raise interest rates.The Federal Reserve on Wednesday lifted a key U.S. interest rate, but it stuck to a script for three rate hikes in 2018 even as it gave a more upbeat forecast for the economy. In the first meeting of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, the central bank avoided sending any overtly hawkish signal about its interest-rate policy. The Fed stuck to its December forecast of three interest-rate hikes this year, but central bankers did push up their expected rate path in 2019 and 2020, however. “This confirms our core view on Fed policy: rate hikes will remain gradual in 2018, but significant fiscal stimulus implies a hike cycle that is more likely to continue through 2019,” said Andrew Hollenhorst of Citi in a note to clients.via