Fed hiking cycle begins: What the latest rate rise means for markets

Opinion byRotorua Daily Post·27 Sep, 2026 03:00 PM4 mins to readMark Lister is investment director at Craigs Investment Partners‌Markets can still perform well in the face of rate hikes, especially in the early stages of a tightening cycle, writes Mark Lister. Photo / 123RF Last week the US Federal Reserve, the world’s most influential central bank, increased interest rates for the first time since 2023.The 0.25% increase took its policy rate to a range of 3.75-4% and looks to have marked the beginning of another interest rate “hiking cycle”. This is the eighth