[Economist Hyman expects the Fed to cut interest rates by 50 basis points this week and the economy will achieve a soft landing] Golden Finance reported that Ed Hyman of Evercore ISI, one of the most watched and respected economists on Wall Street, expects the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by 50 basis points on Wednesday and ultimately achieve a soft landing. "I would be shocked if they didn't cut interest rates by 50 basis points tomorrow," said Hyman, the company's founder and chairman, in an interview. Hyman's shift comes at a critical moment for the US economy and financial markets. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to begin its first rate cut in more than four years, and the S&P 500 is hovering near its all-time high. But the key question is how much the Fed will cut interest rates. After the latest economic data showed resilient US consumer demand, the market-implied probability of a 50 basis point rate cut by decision-makers on Wednesday reached about 55%. Hyman said he made a "very difficult decision" last week to raise his forecast for US GDP in the fourth quarter to 1% growth, which is in stark contrast to the company's economic research team's previous forecast of a 2% decline.