Portfolio Manager Jeff Mayberry and Quantitative Analyst Eric Dhall review markets for February (0:47) and the week ended March 1, 2024 (3:31) as well as the week’s macro news (7:00) and Fedspeak (16:51). For their Topic of the Week (19:36), Jeff and Eric explain how to use the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s FedWatch Tool to obtain the market’s probabilities of future levels in the federal funds target rate from fed funds futures prices. They also discuss reasons to be skeptical of long-range market probabilities for rate changes and how the November presidential election might constrain the time window within which the Federal Reserve is willing cut rates. Looking ahead to the week of March 4-8 (27:19), Jeff and Eric will have on their radar ISM services, JOLTS, whole trade and inventories reports; the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book release; and above all Friday’s raft of February labor market prints, including February changes in payrolls and unemployment rate.

Using Fed Funds Probabilities – with a Grain of Salt (E155)

Monday Morning Minutes