Introduction 1. Further rate hikes remain firmly in play. CME FedWatch puts the chance of another October hike at 57.6%. The popular “dovish hike” narrative misreads the policy signal. If October payrolls remain strong, three hikes this year become a credible outcome. Volatility would rise accordingly. 2. The dollar may be entering a faster leg higher. September’s rate hike marked a turning point in the dollar cycle. Because rate differentials now drive the trend, commodity longs face a difficult backdrop. 3. US stocks remain strong, but beware the "last hurrah". Avoid excessive bullishness before the midterm elections. The Dow and Russell peaked in August, so October is the next window for a possible top in the Nasdaq and S&P 500. Limit exposure to tactical trades

With the Federal Reserve’s September rate hike now underway, there is no turning back once the arrow has left the bow. The tightening cycle is unlikely to end in the near term; it may not reverse until a major economic event emerges—such as a recession or a substantial equity-market decline. Accordingly, trading during this period should become more cautious. Should the pace of tightening accelerate, market volatility is likely to increase as well. Over the weekend, I held an in-person discussion with Tiger users in Hong Kong. Based on my U.S. dollar cycle model, this round of Fed tightening is a landmark event signaling that the dollar cycle has entered a new phase. Given widening interest-rate differentials, we may subsequently face an environment of accelerated U.S. dollar appreciation.

Weekly Roundup 1. The Real Focus of the FOMC Isn't the Rate Move. It's the Treasury Yield Curve. Markets have largely priced in a 25-basis-point hike, so whether asset prices reprice sharply in the near term will hinge on how the Fed frames its future rate path and inflation outlook. The 10-year Treasury yield is closing in on 5%, and a decisive break above that level would weigh on both stocks and gold through three channels: valuation discounting, funding costs and risk appetite. What markets are really waiting on is whether long-term yields have peaked. 2. Beneath a Calm Surface, US Stocks Show Signs of Technical Fatigue. Market breadth is fading fast: only about 28% of NYSE-listed stocks are trading above their 20-day moving average, and the equal-weight S&P 500 has slipped be

Last week’s CPI release brought market expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike into much sharper alignment. Following the euro area’s earlier rate increase and a 0.3% month-over-month rise in core CPI, markets are now pricing in roughly a 90% probability that the Fed will raise rates in September. Although core CPI came in marginally above expectations, the overall reading was not excessively strong. In particular, core CPI has not accelerated significantly even with oil prices approaching USD 100 per barrel. The market also generally expects the Fed’s tightening path to remain relatively gradual. As a result, a rate hike this week is largely priced in. Conversely, if the Fed unexpectedly leaves rates unchanged, the decision could be interpreted as a positive surprise and potentially