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By contrast, the prevailing sentiment among experts was that a 25-point cut was more likely, according to a CNBC survey.
And he was likely aware that a bigger-than-usual cut might connote that the Fed's worried about the economy.
"I don't see anything in the economy right now that suggests that the likelihood of a recession, sorry, of a downturn, is elevated," Powell said.
Persons:
Jerome Powell, William McChesney Martin Jr, Anna Moneymaker, Jerome Powell's, Powell, Jeff Cox, Yun Li, Hakyung Kim, Samantha Subin
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Federal, Federal Reserve, Getty, CNBC, Dow Jones, Nasdaq
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Washington , DC