Fed holds rates at 3.75%-4.00%, December hike odds jump
The FOMC voted 10-2 to leave rates unchanged, with two policymakers dissenting in favor of an immediate hike. Markets now price December hike odds as high as 83%, pushing the 10-year yield near 5.04% and steepening the curve. A hawkish read keeps pressure on rate-sensitive equities and supports higher yields near term.
Core PCE is expected at 3.1% y/y and Q3 GDP at roughly 3.0-3.2% annualized, released at 8:30 ET. With December hike odds already elevated, an above-consensus inflation print could reinforce tightening expectations, lift yields, and pressure equities; a soft print could relieve rate-hike fears.
Alphabet shares fell roughly 10% after Q3 revenue missed and free cash flow came in negative at about $9.1 billion, with capex guidance of $195-205 billion raising AI return-on-investment concerns. The miss dragged AI and semiconductor names (Nvidia, Micron, AMD) lower and weighed on Nasdaq futures.
Microsoft beat top- and bottom-line expectations with Azure cloud revenue up 48%, and shares rose nearly 3% after hours. The beat offers a counterweight to Alphabet's AI concerns and could support megacap tech sentiment, though index-level direction remains contested.
Amazon reports after the close on Thursday, alongside Eli Lilly, Mastercard, Intel, Caterpillar, and AB InBev. Results will be scrutinized for AI capex trends and economic health, with potential for sharp single-stock moves and index-level volatility into Friday.
ServiceNow shares fell nearly 19% after hours as Q3 results missed expectations, weighed down by its acquisition of cybersecurity firm Armis. The drop adds to software-sector pressure and reinforces scrutiny of cash generation and M&A costs.
Significant Geopolitical Events with US Economic Impact
US-Iran diplomatic efforts soften oil prices
Brent slipped below $114 amid reports of intensified diplomatic efforts to end the US-Iran conflict, including contact between VP JD Vance and Iran's security body secretary. Further de-escalation headlines could push oil lower, easing inflation pressure and supporting equities; escalation would reverse this.