The BBC's Angela Garvey: "This third rate rise came as little surprise"

US shares soared, ending the day at or near all-time highs, as the Fed added that it would adopt a neutral bias, with no more interest rises in the pipeline for the time being.

But the move means that interest rates on mortgages and company loans are likely to go up.

"I think raising rates should take a little bit of wind away from the back of the stock market, and may make things a little sloppier over next few weeks," said Harvey Hirschhorn of Stein Roe & Farnham.

Fed chairman Alan Greenspan: tough on inflation

The FOMC has already raised rates twice this year - in June and August - and clearly believed that these were not enough to cool the still booming US economy.

The Fed said it took the action because the economic growth was still too strong, risking inflation.

"Although cost pressures appear generally contained, risks to sustainable growth persist.

Carl Weinberg: "They don't have to tighten anymore"

"Despite tentative evidence of a slowing in certain interest-sensitive sectors of the economy and of accelerating productivity, the expansion of activity continues in excess of the economy's growth potential," it said in a statement accompanying the decision.

Managing to slow down the US economy without inducing a recession could be crucial for the future of the world economy.

Earlier, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said it expected US interest rates to reach 6.5% and for US growth to slow substantially over the next two years.

Last year the Fed cut rates three times to help prevent a global financial meltdown. Its latest move means that it has now reversed all those reductions.

Many analysts are convinced that this will be the last interest rate hike for some time.

"My feeling is that the Fed perhaps is finished hiking rates into the foreseeable future" said John Lonski of Moody's Investors Services.

Dream scenario

Meanwhile, the US economy continues to expand rapidly with little signs of inflationary pressure.

Industrial production rose by 0.7% in October, its strongest rate for eight months, rebounding from September's hurricane induced slowdown.

And data released last week showed that the productivity of US workers rose sharply in the third quarter of the year, at a rate of more than 4%, keeping growth in labour costs in check.

Rising productivity can help keep inflation in check as it allows firms to increase output without having to incur higher labour costs.

With productivity high, labour costs are rising very slowly, just 0.6% during the quarter, the lowest rate since a 0.5% rise in the fourth quarter of 1998.

However, the Fed is still worried that the shrinking number of available workers will eventually force up labour costs and inflation.

It warned that expansion could be jeopardised if growth continued to eclipse increases in both productivity and the pool of available workers.