WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal Reserve (Fed) officials appeared divided at their meeting earlier this month over how much farther they may need to cut interest rates, but as a group agreed to avoid giving much guidance from here on about how US monetary policy is likely to evolve.

There was uncertainty about the direction of the economy, Fed officials noted, according to the minutes of the Nov. 6-7 meeting, uncertainty about just how much the current level of interest rates was doing to restrict the economy — a key issue in deciding how much further rates should fall — and a developing case to step carefully.