Top 5 Market Catalysts to Watch This Week for Stocks and Crypto

Two weeks ago, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates. This week, five data releases will show whether it does it again in October.

The Fed’s chair says single numbers should not drive policy. Traders are still pricing the next move off this week’s data.

The Fed Raised Rates and Refused to Signal Its Next Move

On September 16, the Fed lifted its benchmark rate to a range of 3.75% to 4%. Inflation “remains elevated,” the policy statement said.

In June, BeInCrypto reported that Bank of America expected three Fed rate hikes this year, starting in September.

At his press conference, Chair Kevin Warsh refused to promise a second hike.

“Trends matter. Data points are noisy. Data point dependence is a dangerous preoccupation.”

Rate traders price roughly a 64% chance of another hike on October 28.

Higher rates make savings and bonds pay more. That pulls money away from riskier bets like tech stocks and Bitcoin (BTC). Right now, Bitcoin trades near $84,728, according to BeInCrypto data.

1. Monday, Bank of Japan Minutes

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) publishes the minutes of its July 30 to 31 meeting on Monday morning, Japan time, its calendar shows.

Minutes are the written record of what board members argued. These cover the meeting between two hikes. The BOJ raised its rate to about 1% in June, then to about 1.25% on September 18.