Headline: FOMC Minutes Due at 2 p.m. ET as Markets Trim Odds of December Cut
Investors are bracing for the release of the Federal Reserve’s latest FOMC minutes at 2:00 p.m. ET, looking for fresh guidance on the central bank’s interest rate path. With a light economic calendar this week, the minutes could carry more weight than usual for markets and risk sentiment.
Rate futures currently imply roughly a 30% probability of a policy rate cut in December, while the combined odds of an easing move by January sit near 86%. The document may help clarify how officials are weighing recent inflation trends, labor market cooling, and financial conditions—key inputs for the timing and pace of any policy shift.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell has recently emphasized that views inside the committee remain divided and that a December decision is not predetermined. Traders will scrutinize the minutes for any signs of consensus—or lack thereof—on when the Fed might begin reducing rates, and how confident policymakers are that inflation is moving sustainably toward target.
Key Points: – FOMC minutes will be released at 2:00 p.m. ET – Futures price about a 30% chance of a December rate cut – Combined odds point to a high likelihood of easing by January – Powell has highlighted divisions within the committee on the policy outlook – Limited new economic data heightens the market impact of today’s release – Investors seek clues on inflation, growth, and the timing of potential Fed easing
