Traders in U.S. futures and options markets are betting that Federal Reserve will continue to cut interest rates next year rather than raise them. The spread in Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) futures—which are closely linked to Federal Reserve’s expected policy—is inverting sharply, indicating that traders now expect the central bank’s easing cycle to last longer.Previously, traders had been betting that Federal Reserve would resume raising rates in 2027 after two 25-basis-point cuts by the end of this year. However, the intensifying debate over the impact of artificial intelligence on the labor market has prompted them to reassess this outlook.Jack McIntyre, portfolio manager at Brandywine Global, said, “The question is how AI will drive inflation; the only way AI could potentially drive inflation is through the construction of data centers and the associated energy demand.” Meanwhile, in the spot market, traders lack confidence in how to position themselves in U.S. Treasuries. JPMorgan Chase The latest client survey (for the week ending February 23) shows that the size of neutral positions has reached its highest level since the end of 2024.