Futures edge higher as investors await Fed decision

Reuters

Wed, Mar 19, 2025, 3:28 AM 2 min read

(Reuters) - U.S. banal scale futures gained immoderate crushed connected Wednesday up of the Federal Reserve's wide anticipated monetary argumentation decision.

The cardinal slope is expected to permission its benchmark overnight involvement complaint unchanged successful the 4.25%-4.50% range, erstwhile it releases its argumentation connection astatine 2 p.m. ET (1800 GMT).

Traders spot astir 60 ground points of easing from the Fed this year, with the archetypal chopped seen successful July, according to LSEG data.

Focus volition beryllium connected caller economical projections from policymakers that volition springiness an thought of however they consciousness U.S. President Donald Trump's commercialized and migration policies volition impact economical growth, ostentation and unemployment.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to talk aboriginal successful the day.

"Market pricing suggests immoderate dovish tweak successful the Fed connection today, but we deliberation Powell volition privation to spot hard grounds of a slowdown and volition stay cautious for now," ING analysts said.

U.S. stocks person travel nether terrible selling unit successful the caller weeks aft a raft of economical indicators signaled a cooling of the U.S. system amid commercialized argumentation uncertainties.

The benchmark S&P 500 scale confirmed past week it was successful correction pursuing a 10% driblet from its caller high. The tech-heavy Nasdaq besides confirmed a correction connected March 6, portion the blue-chip Dow is astir 2% distant from the correction threshold.

By 06:02 a.m. ET, U.S. S&P 500 E-minis were up 16.25 points, oregon 0.29%, with 91,934 contracts changing hands, Nasdaq 100 E-minis were up 73.75 points, oregon 0.38%, and Dow E-minis were up 65 points, oregon 0.16%.

U.S. stocks connected Tuesday snapped their little two-session gaining streak.

The allure of harmless havens continued, with golden prices hitting a grounds precocious again connected Wednesday.

Growth stocks edged higher successful premarket trade, with Nvidia rising 1.2%. CEO Jensen Huang said the institution was good placed to navigate a displacement successful the artificial quality industry, speaking astatine the AI spot firm's yearly bundle developer league connected Tuesday.

Tesla gained 2.7%, portion Amazon.com and Microsoft roseate 0.2% each.

(Reporting by Pranav Kashyap successful Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)