The Wall Street Journal

The Biggest Losers From High U.S. Rates Might Be Abroad

Though the European economy is far weaker, central banks there might keep following the Federal Reserve’s cue

Investors are betting that the ECB will go on a rate-cutting spree next year.
Investors are betting that the ECB will go on a rate-cutting spree next year. Photo: Arne Dedert/dpa/Zuma Press

Like many of America’s products, the country’s monetary policy might have its biggest impact abroad.

The Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting in mid-December was taken badly by equity investors. While officials lowered interest rates for the third consecutive time, they were more hawkish about 2025. Derivatives markets, which at the end of September were pricing in between four and five rate cuts, now expect only one.

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