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Markets Look Calm, But A New Fed Could Bring More Rate Drama
Wall Street has been weirdly chill about the idea of a new Fed chair and a more divided central bank, but investors are quietly planning for more surprises in 2026.
The big risk is not an instant meltdown, it’s more rate uncertainty, more bond market mood swings, and more days where stocks move like they drank three coffees.

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The current market vibe is calm, but the storyline is not. The Fed could look very different next year, with more internal division and more political heat around rate cuts.
Even if nothing extreme happens, a weaker chair or a louder, more split committee can create one thing markets hate: uncertainty.
Here’s why that matters in plain English. The Fed sets short-term rates, but longer-term borrowing costs are heavily influenced by investor expectations about what happens next.
If traders start to believe the Fed might cut too aggressively while the economy is still holding up, longer-term yields can rise instead of fall.
That is the annoying plot twist where rate cuts do not automatically mean cheaper mortgages or happier stocks.
A more divided Fed also means every speech, every vote, every dissent carries more weight.
That can lead to more day-to-day volatility in bonds, and bond volatility has a habit of spilling into stocks.
Think of it like this: even if the destination is similar, a bumpier road still makes people drive slower.
The market’s base case right now is that cuts continue gradually, and that is why stocks have not panicked.
But the risk case is more noise: mixed messaging, wider disagreement, and more uncertainty about where rates settle.
That kind of environment rewards businesses that either benefit from volatility, or can keep compounding without caring who is yelling at the Fed this week.

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Actionable Stuff
Run a barbell. Own steady cash-flow names, plus one or two volatility beneficiaries.
Keep duration risk in check. Do not overload on long-duration growth that needs perfect rate cuts to work.
Favor pricing power. Businesses that can raise prices without losing customers tend to handle rate drama better.
Expect headline whiplash. Build positions in pieces so you can add on noisy days.
Let the Fed be background noise. Your portfolio should not require a flawless committee to perform.

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Bottom Line
Markets are acting calm, but investors are preparing for a Fed that could be more divided, more political, and harder to predict.
The risk is not that the Fed instantly loses control. The risk is more uncertainty, higher volatility, and a bond market that demands a bigger cushion.
Build for that with a barbell: one or two names that benefit from choppy markets, plus steady compounders that do not need perfect rate cuts to win.

That’s it for today’s edition—thanks for reading! Reply to this email with any feedback or let me know which macro trends or markets you’d like me to cover next.
Best Regards,
—Noah Zelvis
Macro Notes


