The Fed’s New Patience Recognizes Reality Investors’ certainty that the Federal Reserve would follow its recent interest-rate cut with another in December has evaporated. Treasuries dropped by the most in nearly five months after Chair Jerome Powell — departing from his previous messaging — said with heavy emphasis that another cut by the end of the year was “not a foregone conclusion.” This adjustment was both wise and consequential. Amid much economic uncertainty, and with essential data unavailable due to the government shutdown, the central bank needs to be — and be seen to be — open-minded. That investors were previously all but certain of another cut proves that the Fed’s earlier messaging had gone astray.
