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The market is spooked by an inflation-concerned Fed not smashing the pedal down to slash rates and appease bullish investors.

The vibe is not lost on San Francisco Fed president Mary Daly, seen often as a policy dove who’s a voting member on the FOMC this year.

“Well, it was a close call, frankly, and it took a lot of deliberation as it often does with myself and my team, and then also with the FOMC participants. Ultimately, I decided that it was appropriate to reduce [interest rates] 25 basis points — that will be 100 basis points of recalibration. And I see that as right-sizing the policy rate level to the economy,” Daly said on Yahoo Finance’s Opening Bid podcast (video above).

Added Daly, “So I see the recalibration period now as completed. We now are back to the time we can make our decisions more slowly. Data-dependent, using the data to affect the incoming forecast and, you know, determine how many rate cuts we’ll ultimately do next year. We’ll have to be agile and data-dependent.”

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve reduced interest rates by 25 basis points to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%. It marked the Fed’s third straight rate cut of 2024, which began with a blast — a 50 basis point reduction on Sept. 18.

Daly voted for the reduction in interest rates. The lone dissenting vote — a rarity under the Jerome Powell-led Federal Reserve — was newly appointed Cleveland Fed president Beth Hammack.

Hammack preferred not to cut interest rates.

“I mean, we might get really positive inflation news and we’ll react to that if we do. But I do think that we want to make sure we finish the job,” said Daly, who noted getting inflation to 2% helps build trust and credibility for the Fed.

“So we are resolute to get that job done and that will mean restricted policy through the year [in 2025] in all likelihood.”

But what spooked a market that has been bidding up Big Tech stocks such as Apple (AAPL) and Meta (META) with reckless abandon in December was the Fed not committing to aggressive rate cutting in 2025.

The consensus among Fed officials is now for two rate cuts next year, down from the four forecast in September. The outlook for inflation is further clouded by potential moves by the incoming Trump administration, such as possible tariffs on China.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average promptly finished Wednesday’s session down more than 1,100 points. Stocks stabilized Thursday and Friday, with the latter supported by a slower increase than expected on the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index.

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The index is off by almost 4% in December as losing stretches have begun to pile on amid renewed uncertainty on rate cuts. The S&P 500 is also off by about 3% in the month.

“After cutting rates at three straight meetings, the rate cuts anticipated over the eight meetings in 2025 will be much less frequent, as the president-elect’s plans for spending and tax cuts and tariffs associated with his pro-growth agenda risk stopping inflation’s move down to target in its tracks,” said FWDBONDS chief economist Chris Rupkey.

Daly said she would remain information-dependent and didn’t rule out a rate hike in 2025.

“I never rule out anything honestly because that’s a recipe for being behind or make mistakes,” Daly said.

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“But I can tell you where I think the most likely place will be. We could have fewer cuts than two. We could have more cuts than two depending on the data. Of course, if inflation for whatever reason started to accelerate again, then absolutely I’d be supportive of adjusting the rate upwards. But I don’t see that right now on the horizon.”

Three times each week, I drive insight-filled conversations and chats with the biggest names in business and markets on Opening Bid. You can find more episodes on our video hub or watch on your preferred streaming service.

Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance’s Executive Editor. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn. Tips on deals, mergers, activist situations, or anything else? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com.

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A coffee shop in San Francisco’s Mission Bay hasn’t even opened yet, but has dealt with at least two break-ins over a 24-hour span.

The owners though say it’s not going to deter them from opening their business and hopes their plan will help drive some of the crime away.

Owners of Silicon Valley Coffee got a taste of how businesses are struggling with crime in San Francisco. On Sunday, Matt Baker and Vance Bjorn came in to work on their new store but ended up finding two people on their property with needles scattered everywhere.

The owners called police, officers talked to the suspects, but didn’t make any arrests.

“Little disappointed, little shaken up,” Baker told CBS News Bay Area. “We went home and came back the next morning just to find that we were robbed and everything we had back there was gone. Including our, ironically enough, our brand new security system.”

The incident might have scared off other business owners but not these two.

“We want to work with the community, with the local representation and work with them to find solutions so that other businesses don’t have to go through this,” he said. “We’re putting a lot on the line out here to redo this space and that was a big setback for us.”

When Baker and Bjorn say they’re putting a lot on the line, they mean it. They are pouring in their money to open up this location on 4th Street, knowing that they will have to close when developers decide to break ground on a towering complex with about a thousand rental units. This maybe a temporary site for Silicon Valley Coffee but it’s a project the owners couldn’t say no to.

 “This is an incredible opportunity,” said Baker. “It’s not every day an entire coffee shop, a restaurant, a giant patio in a prime location just lands in your feet and they ask you, can you help to make it better.”

So not only are they committed to seeing their business grow, they’re hoping their business will revitalize the area.

“We really think that the best way to solve these issues is by making this corner vibrant again,” Bjorn said to CBS News Bay Area.

The old site of the Creamery is not the only part getting a facelift. These signs of stores closing will come down, the area will be cleaned up and lights will be put up to make this corner of 4th and Townsend more inviting. Baker and Bjorn are determined to make a difference, one cup at a time.

“Coffee is about community,” said Bjorn. “Historically coffee shops have brought people together and this neighborhood needs to be brought together.”