The Fed cut rates by 25 bps today, as expected, bringing the target range to 4.00–4.25%. Powell stressed inflation is still above target and the labor market is cooling, but the Fed’s “dot plot” now shows two more cuts likely before year-end. One Fed governor even pushed for a bigger 50 bps cut, showing growing pressure inside the committee.

Markets were choppy after the news. The Dow held modest gains, while the S&P and Nasdaq slipped as investors sold some tech. Yields dropped under 4% briefly, then bounced, while the dollar firmed and gold initially ticked higher (buoyed further by a Deutsche Bank forecast upgrade)... before dropping as much as 1%. The quick moves show the cut was already priced in… traders wanted stronger signals on future easing.

The real story is Powell’s tone. He balanced optimism with caution, repeating that decisions will stay data-driven. That left bulls and bears both guessing: will the Fed deliver steady cuts into year-end, or pause if inflation proves sticky? Tomorrow’s trading will show if investors see this as fuel for another leg higher, or a reason to pull back.

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Today we’re adding a new voice to your reading list: Alpha in Academia. For the quants and quant-inclined folks this is a pipeline straight from the ivory tower to the trading desk. They comb through the latest finance and economics journals, and pull out what matters for real-world investors.

In their latest digest, you’ll find fresh studies that challenge what many investors take for granted. From risk premia that behave differently under inflation pressures, to evidence that small-cap premium might be fading in certain markets… and how this research is pushing us to rethink conventional stock-valued wisdom.

There’s also analysis showing some "safe" assets aren’t so safe in volatile regimes. Plus a look into how certain asset-pricing models underperform when macro surprises are frequent. If you’re ready to dive deeper, this roundup gives you stats and papers that force you to change the questions you ask.

In this episode of MacroVoices, energy economist Dr. Anas Alhajji lays bare how recent U.S. policy (tariffs, sanctions, and shifting trade relations) is forcing major players like Russia, China, and India to retool their energy strategies. Alhajji breaks down how OPEC+ production cuts are being unwound earlier than expected… and how pipelines like Power of Siberia 2 are gaining fresh life amid trade pressure and energy security concerns. 

He also flags serious gaps between hype and reality too. Yes, EV adoption in China looks impressive… but peel back the data and things registration definitions, subsidy gaming, and “new car” double counting make things murkier. 

For investors, there’s actionable insight: long oil exposure via production capacity and inventory trends look solid. At the same time, some green-energy spins may be overvalued given the hurdles.