Wall Street is heading into another critical Federal Reserve decision.
Economists expect policymakers to hold interest rates at 3.75% to 4.00% on October 28 following September's rate increase.
But the real concern is what happens next.
In a Reuters survey, economists overwhelmingly expected another rate hike in December.
Higher energy costs and persistent inflation have complicated hopes for easier monetary policy.
That creates a problem for companies borrowing money to finance aggressive expansion.
AI data centers require enormous upfront investment, and higher financing costs can reduce the profitability of future projects.
Meanwhile, higher bond yields can make expensive growth stocks less attractive to investors.
The Fed may pause this week, but a pause does not mean borrowing costs are about to fall.