The fourth-quarter sell-off in U.S. stocks and credit seems to have accurately presaged a weakening in economic data, along with a dovish Federal Reserve pivot. That may help explain why some market observers are discussing the potential for an interest-rate cut. Matthew Hornbach, head of interest-rate strategy at Morgan Stanley, said in a report Monday that his bank’s economists still forecast a hike in December. Yet he argued a reduction would fit with the “framework for this Fed -- one that wants to ‘keep the party going,”’ should economic data continue to disappoint and the recent Treasury yield-curve inversion ... (full story)