Just weeks after hawkish Federal Reserve commentary dimmed December rate cut hopes, new dovish comments from New York Fed President John Williams have boosted rate cut odds back to 63%. With policymakers seemingly divided, a tied vote on the December 10 FOMC meeting – unprecedented in its history – remains possible.
Markets remain uneasy in the meantime, with concerns on high AI spending and a Bitcoin bear market weighing on sentiment. Technical signals add to the unease with the S&P 500 and tech sector indices showing signs of a “head and shoulders” pattern, a bearish sign. Additionally, a leaked draft of President Trump’s Ukraine peace plan indicates the unfreezing of some Russian financial assets confiscated by the west, potentially implicating gold demand.
This episode is presented by Mark Matthews, Head of Research Asia at Julius Baer.