The warnings today seem familiar, like an unwelcome echo from the 2008 Financial Crisis.

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Economic indicators are sliding, yet analysts are strangely upbeat in their forecasts, a troubling similarity to the past. Overestimating earnings and missing key downturn signals led to significant market drops before. This pattern is waving the red flag once again—a concerning recurrence that could lead to market volatility and financial instability.

WSJ: Is the Stock Market Rally About to Rev Up?
Investors are embracing stocks and eyeing a year-end rally in markets

FOMO in the stock market is back.

A lightning-fast rebound has driven the S&P 500 up in nine of the past 10 sessions and 7.2% over the past two weeks, the best such stretch of the year. Now, many investors are betting the rally has legs.

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Ryan McMaken: The Fed Has No Plan, And Is Just Hoping For The Best

The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) last week left the target policy interest rate (the federal funds rate) unchanged at 5.5 percent. This “pause” in the target rate suggests the FOMC believes it has raised the target rate high enough to rein in price inflation which has run well above the Fed’s arbitrary two-percent inflation target since mid-2021.

I say “believe,” but perhaps the more appropriate word here is “hope.” 

That is: the Fed hopes it has raised the target interest rate high enough. Moreover, the Fed hopes this will both reign in price inflation and also avoid raising unemployment too high. (See below for what is meant by “enough” and “too high.”)