The Federal Reserve is almost certain to hike interest rates next week, and Wall Street wants you to know the stock market will weather it just fine — never mind what it does to your business or your paycheck.
Markets are pricing a 71.8% chance the Fed raises rates at its September meeting, with 63.5% odds of at least two hikes by December, according to the CME FedWatch tool. The stated reason: inflation stuck at 3.4% year-over-year in July, fueled in large part by a war with Iran that has pushed energy prices to record highs for this time of year. But the real story isn't whether the S&P 500 survives — it's who gets shielded and who gets squeezed when the Fed tightens the screws.
Business Insider framed the coming hikes as a manageable event for equities, quoting a parade of portfolio managers and strategists explaining why stocks will be fine. Whitney Stewart of Sterling Capital Management said AI spending from hyperscalers is fueling
