Commodities dropped after the Federal Reserve reduced its growth and employment forecasts for the world’s biggest economy, worsening the outlook for demand. Crude oil lost 1.2 percent to $94.27 a barrel at 11:13 a.m. in Singapore, zinc fell 0.9 percent to $2,232 a metric ton and corn dropped 1 percent to $6.44 a bushel, near the lowest level in three months. Gold for immediate delivery fell 0.1 percent to $1,546.75 an ounce and the Standard & Poor’s GSCI gauge of 24 commodities slid 0.8 percent. The Fed reiterated a pledge to keep interest rates near zero and said it will complete a $600 billion bond-purchase program as scheduled this month, even as Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said the recovery is progressing “more slowly” than expected. The economy will expand between 2.7 percent to 2.9 percent this year, down from forecasts ranging from 3.1 percent to 3.3 percent in April, it said. The central bank “acknowledged that the slowdown may not be temporary but offered no hint of further monetary support,” commodity analysts at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. led by Mark Pervan said in a report. “The cautious tone in the Fed’s statement dashed expectations of some looking for a hint of more asset purchases.” Oil for August delivery declined as much as 1.5 percent to $94 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. U.S. oil stockpiles dropped less than forecast and inventories at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for the New York-traded West Texas Intermediate grade, increased for the first time in four weeks. ‘Limited Growth’ “The fundamental story across the board is of limited growth,” said Jonathan Barratt, managing director of Commodity Broking Services Pty in Sydney. “We’ve got plenty of crude. It’s got to be a geopolitical event” to push crude above $100 a barrel again, he said. Copper, zinc and aluminum declined. Copper for three-month delivery dropped as much as 0.8 percent to $8,940 a ton on the London Metal Exchange, and traded at $8,987. Three-month zinc fell as much as 1.7 percent. Corn tumbled to the lowest price in more than three months and wheat fell as improving weather boosted output prospects in the U.S., the largest exporter. December-delivery corn fell as much as 1.5 percent to $6.4075 a bushel, the lowest price for the most-active contract in Chicago since March 17. Gold for August delivery fell 0.4 percent to $1,547.90 an ounce. Futures climbed to $1,559.30 yesterday, the highest for a most-active contract since May 2, when the price reached a record $1,577.40. To contact the reporter on this story: Chanyaporn Chanjaroen in Singapore at cchanjaroen@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Poole at jpoole4@bloomberg.net.

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