News Analysis The Federal Reserve indicated that it will pursue a more aggressive policy to fight inflation in a new FOMC statement released on Wednesday. The statement indicates that the Fed intends to implement three rent hikes in the 2022 calendar year, as well as reducing its asset purchase program by $30 billion per month, doubling the rate of reduction in order to bring the program to a close by March of next year. This statement constitutes a marked shift from the temperament of Fed officials earlier this year. As recently as last summer, the consensus among bankers was unenthusiastic for any rate hikes in 2022, with many experts believing that rate hikes could wait another year until 2023. The new announcement comes amid a wave of inflation, which has caught many economists, including those of the Federal Reserve, by surprise in its magnitude and rapidity. Monetary policymakers are feeling …