The primary driver of trader sentiment remains the Federal Open Market Committee’s recent pattern of limited policy disagreement, with the October 28 decision to hold the federal funds target range at 3.75-4.00% drawing just two dissents despite elevated inflation and a strong growth assessment. Hawkish voices such as Beth Hammack and Lisa Cook pushed for a 25-basis-point hike, yet other previously dissenting regional presidents aligned with the majority, narrowing internal divisions ahead of the December 8-9 meeting where markets assign an 82.6% probability of a quarter-point increase. Updated Summary of Economic Projections and incoming CPI and employment data through November will test whether the committee can achieve broader consensus around the expected tightening path, consistent with the September dot plot showing most participants favoring at least one additional 2026 hike.