AP News Guide: What the Fed did Thursday and why it matters

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen answers questions during a news conference in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015. The Federal Reserve is keeping U.S. interest rates at record lows in the face of threats from a weak global economy, persistently low inflation, and unstable financial markets. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen answers questions during a news conference in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015. The Federal Reserve is keeping U.S. interest rates at record lows in the face of threats from a weak global economy, persistently low inflation, and unstable financial markets. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

By Associated Press September 17, 2015 5 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Federal Reserve’s decision Thursday to hold a key interest rate at historic lows will extend a period of tense speculation among investors.

By delaying a rate hike for at least one further month, the Fed has announced its belief that the economy, more than six years after the Great Recession ended, still hasn’t recovered enough to overcome uncertainties abroad and persistently low inflation.

Here’s a look at what the Fed did Thursday, why it did so and what it might mean:

WHAT THE FED DID