Confused about 'forward guidance' vs. actual rate moves
Been trying to get a handle on how much weight to give Fed speakers' forward guidance compared to the actual rate decisions. Sometimes it feels like the market reacts more to the talk than the action itself, other times it's the reverse. Is there a rule of thumb for interpreting how much of a future move is already priced in based on guidance?
The market reacts to the probability of future action, not just the action itself. Guidance shifts those probabilities, but it's often more nuanced than just one or the other. You need to look at what's priced in the fed funds futures for a real idea of expectations.