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Posted April 24, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Both the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank (ECB) are expected to remain on hold next week with elevated degrees of confidence north of 94%, according to the Interactive Brokers prediction market. But it’s the outlooks of the policymakers that will be most significant for investors and fixed-income observers alike. Specifically, the road forward for rates will be top of mind, four years after an energy cost spike led monetary policy institutions to hike in a rush multiple times following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A similar picture exists today, as the Iran war is driving inflation well above the 2% objectives. Will members of the committee reflect anxiety related to those higher oil charges potentially spreading across the overall economy and leading to annualized prices pressures stabilizing ahead of 3%, or will officials look past this development as a one-time shock that will remedy as the calendar passes. Furthermore, other drivers of accelerating cost forces include tariffs pass-throughs and robust consumer spending?


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Note: Prices are highest bids as of the morning of April 24, 2026.
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