Divided Fed Has Bond Traders Hedge Wide Range of Policy Outcomes

Group 1 - Traders are reducing expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, reflecting mixed messaging from central bank officials [1][3] - Market participants are now betting on only one more 25 basis point rate cut in 2025, contrasting with previous expectations for a 50 basis point cut by year-end [2][6] - A wider range of monetary policy views from Fed officials has contributed to this shift, with some advocating for significant cuts while others caution against inflation [3][4] Group 2 - Fed Chairman Jerome Powell highlighted risks in the labor market and inflation without indicating support for a rate cut in the upcoming October meeting [5] - The FOMC recently reduced the policy rate to a range of 4% to 4.25%, marking the first cut of the year [6] - Current pricing in interest-rate swaps suggests a neutral rate around 2.95% and approximately 40 basis points of rate cuts over the remaining two meetings this year [7]