Your Capital Markets Snapshot: Capital Markets Were Largely in a Holding Pattern

Last week, the capital markets were largely in a holding pattern, awaiting insights from the Federal Reserve's annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The much-anticipated speech by Fed Chair Powell on Friday provided some key takeaways for investors, including the expectation that interest-rate cuts will commence in September. The Fed held its policy rate steady for over a year, but recent commentary suggests sufficient progress has been made on inflation to warrant a shift in policy to focus on employment. The markets responded positively to Powell's dovish message, with stocks rallying and Treasury yields falling in anticipation of the upcoming rate cuts. However, the path to rate cuts may not be consistent, with cuts and pauses interspersed over the coming months as the Fed closely monitors future economic releases and seeks to avoid further deterioration of labor markets and economic slowdown.