The Federal Reserve is likely to cut interest rates by a quarter-point to 4.5 per cent when its two-day policy meeting concludes on Wednesday. But the debate among Fed policymakers will be more finely balanced than is suggested by the odds in the futures market – in which a rate cut is seen as a virtual certainty.

According to anecdotal reports, there is some resistance among Fed insiders to the notion of a guaranteed rate cut. Many would have preferred to go into the meeting with market odds more evenly balanced, which would give the central bank greater latitude to make its determination without risking market turmoil.