The reaction to the rate cut has been positive across the soft landing checklist. Odds of avoiding recession are higher following Chair Powell's aggressive start.

The Federal Reserve began what will likely be a campaign of interest rate cuts Wednesday by cutting its influential federal funds rate by half a percentage point. The central bank has made similar moves in the past.

The Federal Reserve’s decision Wednesday to lower its key interest rate by half a percentage point brought some clarity to the country’s top financial decision-makers, sending stocks surging to all-time highs and finally quieting the “will they,