What Is $FM

Pepsi (PEP.O) shares rose about 2% in pre-market trading after the company reported third-quarter revenue that surpassed market expectations.

On October 8, the RMB exchange rate, an important price in the financial market, has long attracted attention from various sectors, with recent discussions increasing. The People's Bank of China clarifies its policy stance on the RMB exchange rate as follows: China implements a managed floating exchange rate system based on market supply and demand, referencing a basket of currencies, and insists on allowing the market to play a decisive role in the formation of the exchange rate. Over the past two decades, the RMB exchange rate has fluctuated in both directions; since 2010, the RMB exchange rate has undergone multiple rounds of appreciation and depreciation cycles, with the characteristics of two-way fluctuation becoming more pronounced and its elasticity increasing. The development of China's trade is rooted in the enhancement of industrial international competitiveness. China has no need, nor intention, to gain trade competitive advantages through currency depreciation and does not engage in competitive currency devaluation.

On October 8, Federal Reserve Governor Waller stated that the Fed's decision to raise interest rates in September was the result of multiple pieces of evidence accumulated over several months, rather than being driven by a single data point. Waller recalled that the Fed had consecutively lowered rates by 75 basis points from September to December 2025. However, in the first half of 2026, the labor market stabilized, inflation progress stalled, conflicts in the Middle East pushed up energy prices, AI developments increased technology consumption prices, and trade conflicts and new tariffs also added upward pressure. After the inflation data in August exceeded expectations, the Fed decided to raise rates in September. Waller noted that the latest data reinforced the assessment of 'stable employment and excessively high inflation.' The core PCE in August rose by 3% year-on-year, and since spring 2024, core inflation has generally been around 2.5% to 3.0%, above the 2% target. He emphasized, 'At least in the near term, policy will focus on the inflation side of our mandate.' Waller is not overly concerned that tightening policy will lead to a severe slowdown, but he is worried that accelerating inflation could raise inflation expectations across the board. Regarding future paths, Waller indicated the possibility of further rate hikes, such as an increase of 75 basis points, but he did not commit to a specific pace or magnitude, emphasizing that it depends on the data. The September forecasts showed that out of 18 participants, 16 expected at least one more rate hike this year, while 4 expected two hikes. The market believes there is an 85% probability of at least one rate hike before December, and nearly 80% probability of at least two hikes by March 2027. Waller stated that if the data meets expectations, further rate hikes are anticipated, but they do not need to occur at consecutive meetings, as long as they are implemented within an acceptable timeframe.