© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Federal Reserve building is pictured in Washington, March 18, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo
(Reuters) – Traders of futures tied to the Federal Reserve’s policy rate on Friday kept bets the U.S. central bank will increase its benchmark rate in May by another quarter-of-a-percentage point, even after a report showed overall retail sales dropped more than expected last month.
U.S. short-term interest rate futures reflect the view that a rate hike in May is about four times as likely as no move, slightly firmer than the chance seen before the Commerce Department report. The current target range is 4.75%-5.00%.
(This story has been corrected to say retail sales drop was more than expected, in paragraph 1)
