Welcome to Markets Desk, here's what's moving markets right now.
Federal Reserve Governor Chris Waller put a half-point rate hike back on the table for December, telling markets the decision hinges on how hot October's consumer price data prints. That puts Thursday's CPI report in sharp focus, with traders now pricing in a more aggressive Fed path if inflation refuses to cooperate.
Shifting to equities, the Buffett Indicator — which weighs total market capitalization against gross domestic product — is flashing warning signs about stretched valuations. With that backdrop, analysts are pointing investors toward dividend-paying stocks as potential safe havens, names that offer income and relative stability if a broader market correction gains traction.
Across the Atlantic, European shares edged toward record highs Tuesday as falling oil prices helped cool inflation anxieties. Hopes for a resolution to the Middle East conflict drove crude lower, giving European central bankers and consumers alike a bit of breathing room heading into the final stretch of the year.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
