New Delhi, Feb. 19 -- The US Federal Reserve policymakers made a near-unanimous decision to keep interest rates unchanged at their meeting in January, with policymakers striking a cautiously hawkish tone even as they signaled flexibility on future moves, according to the minutes of the latest Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting released on Wednesday.

While the decision to hold rates steady was widely expected, the minutes showed that officials remain divided on the path ahead, with some open to further easing if inflation cools as anticipated, and others prepared to tighten policy should price pressures persist.

Here are five key takeaways from the January 27-28 FOMC meeting:

The Fed Chair Jerome Powell-led FOMC voted 10-2 to ...