Stocks Inch Lower as MidEast Fighting Rages on
U.S. stock futures were relatively unchanged Wednesday as traders monitor the latest developments in the Middle East and brace for the Federal Reserve’s latest rate policy decision.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials let go of 48 points, or 0.1%, to 42,508.
Futures for the S&P 500 index dipped 3.75 points, or 0.1%, to 6,034.75
Futures for the NASDAQ were unchanged at 21,956.
Meta Platforms is reportedly poaching staff from OpenAI with lucrative signing bonuses that have totaled as much as $100 million U.S.
Stocks are coming off a downbeat session Tuesday as the Israel-Iran conflict mounted.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform to threaten Iran’s leader, saying that “our patience is wearing thin” and calling for “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” Current and former administration officials also told NBC News that Trump is weighing options on Iran, including whether to launch a military strike.
The Federal Reserve’s rate decision is due at 2 p.m. ET. The U.S. central bank is widely expected to hold rates steady, but investors will be keeping a close eye on Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s post-meeting comments.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index vaulted 0.9% Wednesday, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng dropped 1.1%
Oil prices tacked on 13 cents to $74.97 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices faltered $6.80 to $3,400.10 U.S. an ounce.
