Agreement on September Rate Increase Eludes Fed; "Standoff" With Stock Market Develops

``Federal Reserve officials aren't near an agreement to begin raising short-term interest rates heading into a crucial week of private discussions before their Sept. 16-17 policy meeting, according to their recent comments... Investors see the hesitance. In futures markets, where traders make bets on the outlook for Fed policy, the market places a 74% probability on the Fed leaving its benchmark rate unchanged this month, according to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Futures market prices show traders see the probability of a move by December at greater than 60%. '' -- See also Markets rally, so let's hike rates! Rates going up? Markets fall.