Fed's Powell flags policy view discord, says December rate cut not assured

By Michael S. Derby

NEW YORK, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said on Wednesday that U.S. central bank officials are struggling to reach a consensus about what lies ahead for monetary policy and that financial markets should not assume another interest-rate cut will happen at the end of the year.

"In the committee's discussions at this meeting, there were strongly differing views about how to proceed in December," Powell said at a press conference following the close of the Federal Open Market Committee's policy meeting. "A further reduction in the policy rate at the December meeting is not a foregone conclusion. Far from it, policy is not on a preset course," he said.