Traders Bail on Fed Rate-Cut Bets After Powell’s Hawkish Message

  • Mass exodus from December upside SOFR options seen Friday
  • Fed chief reinforced that more rate hikes are likely this year

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. 

Photographer: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
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Traders in the US short-term interest-rates market are giving up on the idea that the Federal Reserve will cut rates this year, fueling a mass exodus from dovish wagers hedging such a scenario.

Options open interest, which registers the amount of risk held by traders, dropped sharplyBloomberg Terminal across a number of strikes shown by preliminary CME data released Monday, a sign of capitulation after heavy pullback from rate-cut wagers FridayBloomberg Terminal.