Weekly Market Update

This should be a holiday-shortened week of mind-numbing boredom with little on the data front, and little expected from Fed officials, but there’s always potential that the White House will enter the chat and that keeps everyone from totally unplugging early this week. In any event, we expect markets to range trade with barebones staffing…

With all the first-tier reporting before the holidays done, investors will be picking through bits and pieces of second tier reports, and the smattering of Fed speak, before the holiday season kicks into high gear later next week. While the CPI numbers from yesterday were too good to be true in some respects, at least…

After the data dam burst yesterday with November jobs and October retail sales we get a reprieve today before tomorrow’s November CPI. To fill the void today we have Fed Governor Chris Waller speaking on the economy and given he’s still in the running for the chair position I doubt we’ll hear anything hawkish from…

This is no time to sit and contemplate the true meaning of last week’s FOMC meeting, or who may be heading the Fed by mid-2026, as this week greets investors with a couple first tier reports: November Nonfarm Payrolls (Tues.) and CPI (Thurs.). Other reports of some gravitas, like October Retail Sales, will provide markets…

With no data on tap today, but plenty on deck for next week, the market is likely to mark time and consolidate price action after a busy Fed week. Two employment reports (Nov. and partial Oct.) and Nov. CPI due next week will lift some of the data blackout uncertainty, and that will be a…

Meeting Highlights  As widely anticipated, the Fed cut the funds rate 25bps to lower the target rate range to 3.50% – 3.75%.  The biggest uncertainty heading into the meeting was the updated rate forecast, or dot plot. In September, they had the funds rate hitting 3.25% -3.50% at year-end 2026. Given the subsequent rate cuts…

It’s Fed Day and the expected 25bps rate cut this afternoon, but what else are we likely to get? We discuss more of that below with a new dot plot and economic forecasts (GDP, Inflation, Unemployment), but keep in mind the Fed is still operating in foggy conditions given the data delays, and some data…

It’s FOMC Week, so we await an expected 25bps rate cut on Wednesday, but that’s not all! Being a quarter-end meeting, the Fed will also update the Dot Plot of future rate expectations, and refreshed economic projections (GDP, Inflation, Unemployment), which will provide plenty of trading fodder for Wednesday afternoon if not the balance of…

The last of the September inflation and spending reports will be issued at 10am ET with the release of the Personal Income and Spending Report.  The results aren’t likely to shift odds of a rate cut next week but could begin to adjust expectations for early 2026. However, with November payrolls and CPI looming in…

If you were thinking the economy was taking a step back while the government shutdown prevented updated data, the ADP Employment Change Report for November confirmed your thinking. ADP reported 32k in job losses in November (more on that below) and that continues to solidify the consensus for a rate cut next week. Odds that…

Global risk markets (read: stocks) have started December under pressure as a renewed selloff in crypto and hawkish comments from the Bank of Japan weighed on early sentiment. Domestically, the early returns are in on Black Friday sales and although up 4.1% from 2024 adjusted for inflation (i.e., tariffs) it wasn’t as stellar as the…

The Fed looks to be settling into the holiday shortened week early as no speakers are on the calendar, although some impromptu appearances are always possible. In addition, next week begins the Fed’s quiet period before the December 10th FOMC rate decision, so the market will be contending with limited data, and limited to no…