Here is what they had to say: Dan Caplinger: It's easy for U.S. investors to think that a Federal Reserve rate hike is an obvious decision, especially given how strong the U.S. economy has been recently. Recent actions in Europe have highlighted the interconnected nature of credit markets in different economies around the world, with European interest rates having fallen to negative levels over the past few months. For the Fed to ignore its global impact on financial markets would be irresponsible, especially given the lack of inflationary pressure to hike rates immediately.