The Federal Reserve's final meeting of the year began on Tuesday morning, Dec. 9, with the central bank scheduled to announce its final monetary policy decision at 2:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday afternoon. Investors expect the Fed will cut rates by 0.25%, its third cut of the year, at the conclusion of its two-day meeting, with data from the CME Group showing a 90% chance the central bank will cut rates this week. Along with its final policy decision of the year, the Fed will also publish its final Summary of ...

Economic Outlook - The Federal Reserve is expected to make a decision on interest rates this week, with a press conference by Jerome Powell scheduled for Wednesday at 2:30 PM New York time, which is anticipated to be a key data point for the market [2][10] - The Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) will also be released, providing insights from Fed members on their economic outlook [3] Retail Sales and Consumer Spending - Retail sales data is set to be released on Tuesday, with Bank of America's consumer checkpoint indicating a 4% increase in consumer spending for August, contrasting with Jamie Dimon's concerns about a weakening US economy [4][7] - Mixed economic data has been observed, including a significant drop in the Empire State manufacturing index, which fell by 8.7% compared to a positive 11.9% last month [8] Corporate Earnings - Key earnings reports are expected on Thursday, including Darden Restaurants in the morning and FedEx and LAR in the afternoon, marking a significant event for the week [9] Market Sentiment - The markets are currently at all-time highs, with ongoing trade talks between the US and China being closely monitored, as this is the fourth meeting in four months [5][6]