At the conclusion of a volatile quarter in the markets, optimism about impending rate reduction is igniting both animal spirits and worry in equal measure. Famous money managers have ceased investing in the most recent market boom, claiming that expectations for looser Federal Reserve monetary policy are exaggerated given the high rate of inflation. If rate reductions were to occur, they would be aimed to stop a recession that would also be unfavorable for stock returns. Two weeks after starting it, Barclays Wealth Management recently closed out an overweight position in developed market stocks. Legal & General, which oversees $1.4 trillion, has reduced its equity exposure to the...

The major Wall Street indexes were expected to start the day higher on Friday as data showing that inflation slowed in February raised expectations for the Federal Reserve to adopt a more accommodating monetary policy stance. The personal consumption expenditure (PCE) index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation indicator, increased by 0.3% on a monthly basis in February, according to the Commerce Department's report, down from a 0.6% increase in January. According to the Fedwatch tool from CME Group, traders' odds of a 25-basis-point rate rise in May are 55.5% higher than their odds of a pause at 44.5%. According to Brandon Pizzurro, director of public investments at Guidestone...

At the conclusion of a volatile quarter in the markets, optimism about impending rate reduction is igniting both animal spirits and worry in equal...

The major Wall Street indexes were expected to start the day higher on Friday as data showing that inflation slowed in February raised expectations...