The Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate by a quarter point, to 4.50%-4.75%, at its November Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. It marked the second reduction this year, and all indications are that the Fed will implement another 25-basis-point decrease at the final meeting of 2024, which commences on December 17th. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said that the central bank will continue assessing data to determine the “pace and destination” of interest...

The balance of political power in Washington, D.C. will shift in 2025. That is because former President Donald J. Trump was re-elected President and will take the oath of office on January 20th. Likewise, the Republican Party will control the U.S. Senate. At first blush, Wall Street reacted positively, as the outcomes ensure that the U.S. corporate tax rate will not be raised. Meanwhile, the nation added an estimated 12,000 jobs in October. That figure...

The Federal Reserve will likely continue on its recently commenced less-restrictive monetary policy course. Investors should note that the central bank was scheduled to hold its next Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on November 6th and 7th. As the month of November began, the consensus sentiment was that the Fed would cut the federal funds rate by a more-modest 25 basis points following a half-point reduction in September, to a range of 4.75% to...