The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, Oct. 16, edition that stocks have been rising since the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates a month ago. A New York Times dispatch to The Globe reports that investors believe that this could be the start of a series of cuts that will benefit the market. The economy is also doing well, with recent reports showing strong hiring and lower inflation, which is boosting the market. As big companies start announcing their latest quarterly financial results, providing important numbers for analysts to predict the market's direction, there is a renewed sense of optimism on Wall Street. This optimism is mainly based on the belief that the Fed will control inflation without causing a recession, a "soft landing" that policy-makers rarely achieve. Goldman Sachs analyst Ben Snider says: "There has been a marked shift relative to 18 months ago. When I talk to investors there is much less concern about an economic downturn." Last week, analysts at Fundstrat and Goldman Sachs both raised their year-end forecasts for stocks, with Goldman expecting a further gain of just a little over 2 per cent, with the index having already surpassed its previous prediction.