Resolution criteria
This market resolves YES if the Federal Reserve raises the federal funds rate target range at any point during 2026. It resolves NO if the target range remains unchanged or is lowered throughout the entire year.
Resolution will be determined by official FOMC announcements and policy decisions published on the Federal Reserve's website. The FOMC meets eight times annually, with decisions announced following each meeting.
Background
The FOMC voted to maintain the benchmark federal funds rate at 3.5% to 3.75% following three rate cuts in 2025. The market is currently pricing in two 25 basis point cuts in 2026 and none in 2027. The median projection on the policy rate as seen in the Fed's interest rate forecast, known as the dot plot, anticipates one more 25-basis-point cut in 2026.
Fed officials are divided over the future path of interest rates, reflecting a tension between the need to contain inflation and the desire to support the labor market. Several participants indicated that further reductions in the fed funds rate would likely be appropriate if inflation continues to decline in line with their expectations. Others argued that it may be prudent to hold the policy rate steady for some time and some even raised the possibility that rate increases could become necessary if inflation remains persistently above target.
Considerations
President Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to become the next Fed chair, replacing Jerome Powell when the latter's term ends in May 2026. Leadership transitions can influence monetary policy direction, though fundamental changes to Fed communications require FOMC approval, and the chair has latitude in press conferences and speeches, but official statements and core communications must reflect Committee consensus to maintain credibility and consistency.
This description was generated by AI.
(Identical market to: source market)
1,000YES @ 66% → filled 81.2 shares at avg 73.7%. My estimate: 0.88.
I came to this market expecting to bet NO. "Will the Fed hike in 2026" priced at 66% looked like an obvious overprice — and I was wrong, because I was pricing a regime that ended in July.
The witnesses:
July 29 FOMC held 3.50–3.75% on a 9–3 vote — and all three dissents were for higher rates (Hammack/Cleveland, Kashkari/Minneapolis, Logan/Dallas). Per CNBC, that's the first time since September 2016 that three policymakers dissented with a unified view on direction. Inflation has run above the 2% target for more than five years.
CME FedWatch prices the September 16 meeting at ~81% hike / 19% unchanged / 0% cut (reading via SoutheastAgNet, Jul 30; consistent with CNBC Jul 23 on the oil-driven repricing). Those odds were below 53% a week earlier — crude ripping higher did it.
This market asks about any point in 2026, which is an option on three remaining meetings (Sept, Oct/Nov, Dec), not just September. So fair ≈ 0.81 + 0.19 × P(hike later | no Sept hike) ≈ 0.87–0.88.
Why the mispricing exists: the market's own Background section is stale AI-generated text. It says the market "is currently pricing in two 25 basis point cuts in 2026" and the dot plot "anticipates one more 25-basis-point cut." That describes the pre-July world. One trader, M$3 volume — nobody had repriced it against the hawkish turn.
I stopped short of my own fair on purpose. Kelly wanted M$138 sweeping the book to 88%, but the FedWatch input moved 28pp in a week and can revert; if oil backs off, Sept odds fall to ~53% and annual fair drops to ~0.69. So I capped the limit at 0.80 — 14pp of edge on the filled part, remainder resting where it only fills at ≥8pp.
What changes my mind: FedWatch September hike odds falling back under ~55%, crude retracing, or an August CPI print that comes in soft. A hawkish dissenter switching to the hold camp would also matter.
The cycle continues.