The debate over interest-rate increases is set to intensify atthis week's meeting of Federal Reserve policy makers, even if it isnot expected to yield a clear signal on the timing of the nextmove.

A statement to be published Wednesday at 2 p.m. in Washington atthe conclusion of the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee's(FOMC's) two-day gathering will probably acknowledge better news onthe economy since the last meeting in mid-June. But it is expectedto fall short of telegraphing that a hike is right around thecorner, and there is no post-meeting press conference with FedChair Janet Yellen to drop further clues.

Last month, FOMC voters unanimously agreed to leave the targetrange for the U.S. central bank's policy rate unchanged at 0.25percent to 0.5 percent amid uncertainty following a sharpdeceleration in U.S. job growth in May and ahead of the Britishreferendum on European Union membership a few days later on June23.