Keyword → KRE

May PCE Inflation Hits 4.1% — Highest Since April 2023 With Core at 3.4%, Above 3.3% Forecast, Cementing September Fed Rate Hike as Base Case

The May Personal Consumption Expenditures price index rose 4.1% year-over-year, its highest reading since April 2023, driven by energy-cost pass-through from the Iran war, matching headline consensus but printing core PCE at 3.4% — a tick above the 3.3% expected. Monthly headline PCE rose 0.4%, slightly below the 0.5% forecast. Markets moved to price a September Federal Reserve rate hike as base case, though analysts broadly viewed May as likely the inflation peak given the sharp subsequent decline in oil prices following Iran ceasefire progress.

Federal Reserve Rate-Hike Odds Reach 75% for September 2026 — Higher Yields Pressure Growth Valuations

Markets are increasingly pricing in another Federal Reserve rate increase, with futures implying roughly a 75% probability of a move by September. Rising Treasury yields have pressured long-duration growth stocks and increased volatility across technology sectors. Investors are reassessing valuation assumptions while monitoring inflation data and central bank commentary. The evolving rate outlook could become a dominant driver of equity performance during the remainder of the summer.

Fed Faces June 17 FOMC Decision With 89% Odds of No Change — 4.2% CPI Keeps Cut Hopes on Ice

The Federal Reserve's FOMC meets June 16-17, with prediction markets assigning roughly 89% to 99% odds that the federal funds rate stays unchanged at 3.50%-3.75%. May CPI came in at 4.2% year-over-year, well above the Fed's 2% target, while unemployment near 4.3% has reduced expectations for near-term rate cuts. Investors are watching closely for any shift in the Fed's policy bias under new Chair Kevin Warsh.

Kevin Warsh Faces Senate Banking Committee Tuesday in High-Stakes Fed Chair Confirmation Hearing

Former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh, President Trump's nominee to succeed Chair Jerome Powell when his term expires May 15, appears before the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET. Markets are watching for signals on Fed independence, the pace of balance sheet reduction, and rate policy at a moment when energy-driven inflation and geopolitical uncertainty have left the central bank's path highly uncertain.

Wells Fargo Abandons All 2026 Fed Rate Cut Forecasts as Iran War Locks In Inflation; March CPI Due Friday

Wells Fargo Investment Institute announced Monday it no longer expects the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates at any point in 2026, abandoning its prior forecast of two cuts and citing oil-driven inflation from the Iran war and elevated geopolitical uncertainty. The announcement sets up Friday's March CPI report as a high-stakes macro event, with the Cleveland Fed's Inflation Nowcasting model projecting headline inflation surging from 2.4% to 3.16% year-over-year as the first full energy shock data is captured.

Q1 2026 Earnings Season Kicks Off — JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs Set to Report as Banks Navigate Tariff and Rate Uncertainty

Q1 2026 earnings season officially begins this week with major banks leading the charge, and Friday's blockbuster March jobs report — 178,000 payrolls added against a 51,000 consensus — has substantially improved the setup for financial sector results, even as the broader market navigates 15% global tariffs, $110 oil, and Moody's 49% recession probability estimate.

Powell Shocks Markets With Hawkish Peterson Institute Speech — Rate Hike Odds Surge to 68%

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered a sharply hawkish address at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, signaling the Fed retains all tools to combat inflation. Rate hike odds for October surged to 68 percent as the S&P 500 fell 1.4 percent and 2-year Treasury yields jumped 18 basis points to 4.92 percent.

Federal Reserve Holds Rates at 3.50%–3.75%, Flags Sticky Inflation and Iran War Uncertainty; Markets Sell Off on Powell's Hawkish Tone

The Federal Reserve voted 11-1 to keep its benchmark rate unchanged at 3.50%–3.75% on Wednesday, while its updated dot plot showed only one rate cut projected for all of 2026 and Chair Jerome Powell delivered a more hawkish-than-expected press conference that rattled markets. The Dow fell 768 points to its lowest close since November, as investors processed Powell's warning that higher energy prices could reignite inflation and that the Fed had 'not made as much progress on inflation as hoped.'

February Jobs Report Shocks Markets: Payrolls Shed 92,000, Unemployment Rises to 4.4%

The U.S. economy unexpectedly shed 92,000 jobs in February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday, far worse than the consensus estimate for a gain of 50,000 to 60,000 and marking the third payroll contraction in five months. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4%, while average hourly earnings surprised to the upside, presenting the Federal Reserve with a stagflationary dilemma at the worst possible moment.