The United States' central bank, the Federal Reserve, has kept interest rates unchanged but has signalled it still plans two increases this year.
After raising rates for the first time in nearly a decade late last year, the Fed has left its target range for overnight lending rates between banks at between 0.25 percent and 0.5 percent.
At the same time it has lowered its economic growth forecasts and indicated it would be less aggressive in tightening monetary policy after the end of this year.
Updated projections from Fed policymakers point to annual GDP growth of only 2 percent for the foreseeable future.