The new trading week arrives with a packed agenda. Earnings season is in full swing, central banks on both sides of the Atlantic are preparing key interest rate decisions, and a lingering political standoff continues to disrupt the normal flow of economic data. Many investors expect another modest rate cut from the US central bank, encouraged by softer business surveys and signs that the labour market is losing momentum. In Europe, policymakers appear more inclined to wait and observe. At the end of the week, inflation figures from the United States could either validate the recent policy shift or raise questions about timing. Meanwhile, trade tensions and tariff threats are creeping back into the headlines. In such an environment, short-term volatility is almost guaranteed; sustainable opportunity is not.