Fed's Persistent Hawkishness and My Watchlist Adjustment

Another day, another dose of central bank rhetoric reminding us that the 'pivot' is still a mirage. The general tone out of various Fed governors continues to lean hawkish, even with some softer data points starting to trickle in. It's almost comical how dedicated they are to this narrative, despite the market practically begging for a reprieve. This persistent 'higher for longer' sentiment, even as we see things like $GLD tick up to 373.04, suggests a cautious approach to anything sensitive to interest rates. I'm keeping a very close eye on how this translates into corporate earnings, particularly for sectors that rely heavily on consumer spending or easy credit. My current watchlist is leaning heavily into businesses with strong balance sheets and less reliance on debt for growth, and less on highly speculative assets like $SHIB (currently at 0.00000428) which thrive in a more risk-on environment. It's not about predicting a crash, but acknowledging the headwinds that the central banks seem intent on maintaining. $FI at 63.8 seems to be weathering it reasonably well, but the broader sentiment remains my primary concern for new entries.