The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that investors are concerned about the chance of inflation rebounding, which is forcing them to prepare for something they did not expect to face in 2024: a year without U.S. interest rate cuts. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe reports that the expectations for how much policy easing the Federal Reserve can deliver are decreasing rapidly as strong economic reports suggest that inflation could come creeping back if the Fed lowers borrowing costs prematurely. These worries became more urgent after the release of robust consumer price data on Wednesday, which showed that investors now expect rates to fall by just 40 basis points this year, compared with the 150 basis points that were priced in at the start of 2024. The fading prospect of rate cuts presents a dilemma for those who invested in stocks and bonds over the last few months in the hope of a policy easing, leaving some of them scrambling to readjust their portfolios. Though the S&P 500 Index stands near record highs, some equity investors are loading up on insurance in the options market or pouring money into popular inflation hedges such as energy stocks, wary that a key bull market support may be fading.