Contrarian bet emerges for Fed’s next move

Uncertain territory: The Fed building in Washington. Some observers say there is the possibility of a rate hike this year if there are substantial inflation surprises. — AFP

NEW YORK: It’s at best, a long shot, but one that’s emerged among a group of die-hard bond traders – that the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) next move on interest rates will be up, not down.

The wager, which arose after a blowout jobs report on Jan 10, stands in stark contrast to the consensus on Wall Street for at least one rate cut this year.