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:
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Dow: –0.45%
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$S&P 500(.SPX)$ : –0.35%
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Nasdaq : –0.14%
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Hot Stock: Paramount Skydance +9.0%
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Biggest Loser: Air Products & Chemicals –9.5%
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Best Sector: Tech +0.9%
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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:
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The dot plot
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Any changes in policy language
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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:
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The health of the consumer Key earnings this week:
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Oracle , Costco, $Broadcom(AVGO)$
3. A Bullish Case for 2026
Despite near-term volatility:
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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:
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Early-stage competitors signal growing pressure on $Eli Lilly(LLY)$ and Novo Nordisk.
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The winners today were the upstarts; the giants saw declines.
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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:
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Earnings: AutoZone, GameStop, Campbell’s, Casey’s, AeroVironment, Ferguson
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JOLTS report: September & October job openings
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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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