FOMC minutes, a Fed governor's board fight, and Warsh's first Jackson Hole keynote land in the same eight days, while the VIX curve prices the outcome as a foregone conclusion.
Macro Weekly The Fed Faces Three Flashpoints This Week Markets Are Priced for None of Them FOMC minutes, a Fed governor's board fight, and Warsh's first Jackson Hole keynote land in the same eight days, while the VIX curve prices the outcome as a foregone conclusion. Dorian ZTrader.AI Week of August 17–21, 2026 The S&P 500 closed last week at 7,785.76 — its third straight weekly gain and yet another fresh record. The Russell 2000 surged 3.15% to an all-time high of its own, while the Nasdaq Composite notched its third consecutive winning week to finish at 26,729.16. With the VIX sliding to around 14.85 — its fourth straight weekly decline and lowest close since late December — every surface-level gauge suggests absolute calm. But look past the ticker tape. The week of August 17–21 kicks off a sequence where three separate institutional countdowns are about to hit zero within eight tr
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