Traders bet first Fed rate hike to come in October

The contracts now show that traders see a 67 percent chance that the first Fed rate hike will come in October, based on CME FedWatch, which tracks rate hike expectations using its Fed funds futures contracts.

Before the release of the Fed's post-policy-meeting statement, traders were betting the first rate hike would come in September.

The Fed has kept short-term rates near zero since December 2008.

(Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)