The plot thickens on the Fed front. Multiple regional presidents just made it clear on Jan 15—they're hitting pause on interest-rate cuts for now. Why? Inflation's still knocking at the door, and they're not ready to ease up just yet.

Here's the twist: the labor market's been cooling, but it's stabilizing instead of cratering. That's creating a tricky situation. They can't keep slashing rates if price pressures remain sticky. This kind of hawkish hold typically signals that rate cuts won't be coming anytime soon, which carries real implications for market conditions across all asset classes.