Markets Slip as Fed Jitters Grow Ahead of Wednesday’s “Hawkish Cut”

A Nervous Market Awaits the Fed

Stocks drifted lower Monday as investors braced for a pivotal Federal Reserve meeting widely expected to deliver a 25 bps interest-rate cut, and potentially a messy debate about what comes next.

Wall Street’s biggest concern isn’t this cut, but the Fed’s lack of consensus on 2026 policy. Fed Chair Jerome Powell faces a fractured committee, making clear forward guidance nearly impossible.

FOMC

Markets reflected that anxiety:

  • Dow: –0.45%

  • $S&P 500(.SPX)$ : –0.35%

  • Nasdaq : –0.14%

  • Hot Stock: Paramount Skydance +9.0%

  • Biggest Loser: Air Products & Chemicals –9.5%

  • Best Sector: Tech +0.9%

  • Worst Sector: Communication Services –1.8%

Index

Even a strong 2026 outlook from strategists wasn’t enough to steady the tape.

What’s Driving Sentiment Now

1. Fed Uncertainty

Investors are laser-focused on:

  • The dot plot

  • Any changes in policy language

  • Powell’s tone during the Wednesday press conference

A “hawkish cut” appears all but guaranteed.

2. AI and Mega-cap Earnings Coming

Once the Fed moves out of the spotlight, markets will shift back to:

3. A Bullish Case for 2026

Despite near-term volatility:

  • Strong earnings + lower rates = constructive outlook,

    “Two catalysts are better than one,”

The Next Wave in Weight-Loss Disruption

Two biotechs, $STRUCTURE THERAPEUTICS INC SPON ADS EACH REP 3 ORD(GPCR)$ Structure Therapeutics and WAVE Life Sciences, announced advances in experimental weight-loss drugs, shaking up the GLP-1 landscape.

GPCR

Key takeaways:

  • Early-stage competitors signal growing pressure on $Eli Lilly(LLY)$ and Novo Nordisk.

  • The winners today were the upstarts; the giants saw declines.

  • Even so, Lilly remains a powerhouse, its obesity drug Zepbound helped send the company briefly into the $1 trillion market-cap club.

The obesity-drug market is expanding so fast that competition is no longer a “risk”, it’s an inevitability.

What’s Coming Next

Tomorrow brings:

  • Earnings: AutoZone, GameStop, Campbell’s, Casey’s, AeroVironment, Ferguson

  • JOLTS report: September & October job openings

  • NFIB Small Business Optimism Index: expected at 98.2

Conclusion

Markets are in a classic Fed holding pattern, hesitant, directionless, and waiting for clarity only Powell can offer. A cut on Wednesday is nearly certain, but the future path of rates remains a muddled battleground. Once the dust settles, attention will snap back to AI leaders, mega-cap earnings, and the ever-expanding weight-loss revolution…

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This summary is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Investors should conduct their own research before making investment decisions.

@TigerStars

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# FOMC Week: 25bp Locked? Sell the News or Start Santa Rally?

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