This week’s FOMC meeting will set the near- to medium-term rhythm for markets. But the key issue is not simply whether the Fed raises rates; it is how Treasury yields at the front end and long end of the curve will be repriced. The 10-year Treasury yield is now approaching—or has already touched—the sensitive 5% threshold. Markets are concerned both that further increases in long-dated yields could crush richly valued assets and that excessive policy tightening could push up front-end rates and quickly hit equities. In our view, four possible meeting outcomes could unfold this week. All ultimately revolve around the tug-of-war between the front end and the long end of the yield curve, although the implications for individual asset classes differ across scenarios. A Tense Yield Environment