Powell just a week after the meeting said the economy was "not sending any signals that we need to be in a hurry to lower rates."

The Fed has lowered interest rates by a total of 75 basis points over its last two meetings, but further rate cuts may be sparse.

The Federal Reserve is about to release minutes of its November meeting, with bond investors hoping to learn more about the central bank's path to a "neutral" rate. No one knows for certain what that rate might be.