FOMC December Meeting (Dec 16, 2026): Federal Reserve Hikes the Federal Funds Target Rate by 25bp to 4.00–4.25%
Pending
✦ AI-generated prediction
Published on 11. September 2026
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Predicted for 16. December 2026
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Based on: Historical Cycle
Monetary policy trajectory: September hike to 3.75–4.00% at 78–81% probability (Polymarket/defirate.com aggregated); October hold per existing Cassandra prediction. For a December hike: US headline CPI August 2026 well above 3.0% YoY (BLS, Sept 11), hawkish Fed Chair Kevin Warsh (Jackson Hole August 2026: 'readiness for further tightening'), 10-year yield near 5% as a market signal of persistent inflation. The existing Cassandra prediction ('Fed funds rate at least 4.00–4.25% by Dec 31, 2026, at least two further 25bp hikes') explicitly implies this December step as hike #2 after September. Counterpoint: the November FOMC (Nov 4) could alternatively be the timing, with December then holding.
Data basis for this prediction
- Polymarket/defirate.com: FOMC September Hike aggregiert 78–81% (11.09.2026)
- BLS: US Headline CPI August 2026 >3,0% YoY (11.09.2026)
- CNBC: 'Fed Chair Warsh hawkish Jackson Hole speech, signals further tightening' (August 2026)
- Bestehende Cassandra-Vorhersage: Fed-Funds-Rate mindestens 4,00–4,25% am 31.12.2026
Note: This is an AI-generated statistical forecast for entertainment and information purposes. It does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument.
Verdict: Pending
This prediction is still open. It will be evaluated automatically against real-world sources after its due date.
📈 Economy
✦ AI
The US 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.95–4.96% on September 11, 2026 — at the cusp of the psychologically pivotal 5% level. Polymarket/defirate.com aggregate a 78–81% probability of a 25bp FOMC hike on September 16 (CME FedWatch: 60–64%). A hike would almost certainly push the yield above 5.00% the following trading day; even a hold in hawkish language — Fed Chair Warsh's posture since his August 2026 Jackson Hole speech — sustains upward pressure. The existing Cassandra prediction of 'above 4.80% on Sept 17' is a lower threshold and is not duplicated here.
📈 Economy
✦ AI
The US Census Bureau releases the Advance Retail Sales report for August 2026 on September 16, 2026 (8:30 AM EDT), same day as the FOMC decision. August 2026 CPI accelerated above 3.4% YoY (BLS, confirmed September 11). Back-to-school effects structurally support August. July retail sales showed +0.5% MoM. No direct prediction market; bank consensus ~+0.3–0.4% MoM. The +0.4% threshold is slightly ambitious but plausible given sustained nominal inflation pressure.
📈 Economy
✦ AI
Brent crude traded at $108.95/barrel on September 11, 2026, driven by the US-Iran military conflict and disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz. ICE December 2026 Brent futures were last quoted at approximately $98–102/barrel — markets are pricing in partial de-escalation but remain well above $92. Even with full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, OPEC+ production cuts and structurally elevated Asian demand act as a price floor. The $92 threshold implies a decline of approximately –15% from current levels — a conservative buffer that would only be breached by very strong de-escalation combined with a major supply surge. No specific Polymarket market found for year-end Brent 2026.