Stock futures are little changed as traders await Federal Reserve’s rate decision: Live updates

Stock futures are little changed as traders await Federal Reserve’s rate decision: Live updates


Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on March 14, 2025, at the opening bell. 

Timothy A. Clary | Afp | Getty Images

Stock futures hovered below the flatline Tuesday night as the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision looms.

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 49 points, or 0.1%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures each shed about 0.1%.

Investors are coming off of a rough Tuesday, which saw the recent market sell-off come back in full force after two winning sessions.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.6%, while the S&P 500 shed more than 1%. The broad market index ended the day off 8.6% from its February record close, and it’s now nearing correction territory. The Nasdaq Composite declined 1.7% as shares of technology darlings Tesla, Palantir and Nvidia each fell.

The major averages have been on a roller-coaster ride in recent weeks, as traders navigate soft economic data and uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s tariff policy. The S&P 500 officially entered correction territory last week, ending Tuesday 8.6% below its record close reached in February, and the Nasdaq is still in a correction.

Investors are preparing for the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision due at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday – another possible catalyst for markets.

Though the Fed is widely expected to maintain a steady hand on interest rates, traders are keeping a close eye on the central bank’s outlook for the rate policy path. Policymakers will be sharing their quarterly updates on rate expectations, gross domestic product, inflation and unemployment, and those insights arrive at a time when traders are shaky on what’s ahead for the U.S. economy and the impact on markets.

“Fed Chair Powell has repeatedly said that the risks to price stability and full employment are balanced,” said Scott Helfstein, Global X’s head of investment strategy. “That is likely still true, but risks to both are rising. This is not time to sell and go away, but perhaps time to review long-term strategy against near-term volatility.”



Source

CNBC Daily Open: U.S. stock indexes charge ahead with three record closes
World

CNBC Daily Open: U.S. stock indexes charge ahead with three record closes

The “Charging Bull” statue at Bowling Green in New York’s Financial District. Drew Angerer | Getty Images Investors continue to pile into stocks, undeterred by a government shutdown or shaky jobs data, with all three benchmarks hitting record highs Thursday. With the Senate not meeting yesterday because of Yom Kippur, the U.S. government stayed shut […]

Read More
Private equity’s retail rush is alarming its institutional backers: ‘Bigger issues down the road’
World

Private equity’s retail rush is alarming its institutional backers: ‘Bigger issues down the road’

SINGAPORE — For decades, private markets have been the preserve of pension funds, endowments and sovereign wealth giants. Now, that exclusivity is fading. More wealthy individuals are getting invited into a once-closed club reserved for long-term investments from large institutions — and that is ruffling feathers. The trend has been described by experts as the […]

Read More
Mega AI deals enable exits for private equity — but fuel ‘frothy’ bubble fears
World

Mega AI deals enable exits for private equity — but fuel ‘frothy’ bubble fears

Aside from pushing stocks to all-time highs, the artificial intelligence boom is also giving private equity funds a boost by thawing the frozen IPO market and providing much-needed liquidity. However, AI is also creating what senior industry figures describe as a “frothy” investment landscape in some corners of the market, making it harder to identify […]

Read More