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☕️ GM Munchers! It’s officially spring, which means my wife is excited for flowers and sunshine… while I’m just hoping my portfolio finally blooms instead of wilting like the last trade I placed.

On today’s menu:

• ⚠️ The Fed’s Plan? Confusion & Uncertainty

• 🍔 DoorDash Now Lets You Finance Your Lunch

• 🇯🇵 Japan’s Inflation Heats Up—Rate Hikes Back on the Table?

• 😬 More Trouble For Tesla

• 🚀 Kraken Buys NinjaTrader

MARKET OVERVIEW

⚠️ The Fed’s Plan? Confusion & Uncertainty

If the Fed had a slogan right now, it’d be “Hurry up and wait.” Powell and Co. are keeping rates steady at 4.5%, teasing two rate cuts later this year—but with a big ol’ asterisk attached.

📉 The Fed Slashes Growth Outlook

The Fed’s latest projections aren’t exactly screaming confidence.

They lowered their 2025 GDP growth forecast to 1.7% (down from 2.1%), meaning they’re expecting a weaker economy ahead.

At the same time, they raised their inflation forecast to 2.7% (up from 2.5% in December).

In other words, slower growth and higher inflation—a combo that makes predicting rate cuts about as easy as timing the top in Bitcoin.

🔥 Rate Cuts? Maybe, Maybe Not

The Fed is still projecting two rate cuts this year, but markets aren’t buying it just yet.

Powell emphasized uncertainty around tariffs, fiscal policy, and global risks, making it clear the Fed wants more data before actually pulling the trigger.

Some economists now believe the first cut may not come until late 2025, or even get pushed into 2026 if inflation keeps running hot.

📊 What This Means for Traders

• Stocks are struggling. The S&P 500 fell 0.22%, reversing earlier gains, while the Nasdaq and Dow followed suit.

• Gold is loving this uncertainty. The precious metal just hit a fresh record high of $3,056 per ounce, as traders hedge against inflation and Fed hesitation.

• Bond traders are on standby. The 10-year yield sits at 4.55%, showing that fixed-income markets are just as confused as everyone else.

⏳ What’s Next?

Markets are now in full wait-and-see mode.

With the next Fed decision months away, traders will be watching economic data like hawks—especially inflation numbers and any major moves on Trump’s tariffs.

For now, Powell’s message is clear: The Fed isn’t in a rush. And if you were expecting an easy pivot, think again.

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STOCKS

🍔 DoorDash Now Lets You Finance Your Lunch—Because Why Not?

DoorDash just teamed up with Klarna, meaning you can now finance your food like it’s a luxury purchase.

That’s right—your $12 Big Mac can now be split into four easy payments.

Because nothing says financial stability like putting a burrito on layaway.

📈 Investors Are Eating It Up

Wall Street loved the news—DoorDash stock jumped 1.19%, bringing its valuation to a cool $80 billion. Meanwhile, Klarna is gearing up for an IPO, and adding a big-name partner like DoorDash is a solid way to hype it up.

🍟 Why This Matters

1️⃣ More impulse orders – Splitting payments makes it easier to justify adding fries and dessert.
2️⃣ Klarna gets a boost pre-IPO – Because nothing attracts investors like monetizing food cravings.
3️⃣ DoorDash rakes in more cash – Bigger orders = bigger profits.

🤯 The Bottom Line

We’ve officially reached a point where fast food has a payment plan. If that doesn’t scream 2025, I don’t know what does.

FOREX

🇯🇵 Japan’s Inflation Heats Up—Rate Hikes Back on the Table?

Japan’s core inflation just clocked in at 3% for February, beating expectations and giving the Bank of Japan (BoJ) more reasons to stay hawkish.

That’s right—after nearly a decade of ultra-low rates, the BoJ might finally be warming up to the idea of tightening.

📈 Inflation's Not Cooling Fast Enough

• Core inflation (excluding fresh food) hit 3%, above the 2.9% estimate.

• Headline inflation eased slightly to 3.7% from last month's 4%, but still way above the BoJ’s 2% target.

• "Core-core" inflation (which strips out fresh food and energy) rose to 2.6%, signaling broad-based price pressures.

Translation? The BoJ's fight with inflation isn’t over yet.

💰 Wages Are Rising—And That Matters

Japan’s largest labor union secured a 5.46% wage hike—its biggest in three decades.

Higher wages mean more spending, which could keep inflation sticky and force the BoJ’s hand on rate hikes.

🤔 What’s Next for the BoJ?

• The BoJ held rates steady at their last meeting, but Governor Kazuo Ueda made it clear that they want to normalize policy without breaking anything.

• Markets are now pricing in a greater chance of rate hikes if inflation remains elevated.

• If inflation stays hot and wages keep rising, Japan might be saying sayonara to negative rates for good.

🎯 Why Traders Should Care

The Japanese yen remains a safe-haven currency, but rate hike bets could give it more strength—or at least slow down its decline against the dollar.

If the BoJ finally commits to tightening, expect some serious FX market shake-ups.

In short?

Japan's inflation problem isn’t going away quietly, and the BoJ might finally be ready to do something about it.

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PROP FIRMS

🤑 Friday Motivation

🚀 Pre-Market Fuel

1. Nike crushed earnings but sent out a warning. They expect sales this quarter to drop dramatically because of poor consumer confidence.

2. More bad news for Tesla. Federal regulators recalled almost all Cybertrucks because of a faulty exterior panel.

3. Trump signed an executive order to close the Department of Education.

4. Kraken buys NinjaTrader.

🍪 Munchy Memes

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