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By Johann M Cherian and Ragini Mathur July 29 (Reuters) - S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures inched higher on Wednesday as investors awaited the Federal Reserve's monetary policy verdict against a backdrop of
Wall Street futures were mostly higher pre-bell Wednesday as the global tech sector sell-off paused,
U. S. stock futures traded close to unchanged on Wednesday as investors prepared for a pivotal session featuring the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate decision and quarterly earnings from artificial intelligence leaders Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT).
The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates twice by year-end -- history suggests that tighter monetary policy could trigger a stock market correction.
Stocks were on track to open a touch higher Wednesday as investors shrugged off a rally in oil prices ahead of the Federal Reserve’s July interest-rate decision. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures climbed 41 points, or 0.1%. This could be a crucial day for the market, with the Fed set to announce its policy decision and mega-cap tech companies Meta and Microsoft due to report earnings after the closing bell.
Hard economic data, not proactive guesswork, drive Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) policy decisions.
Investors braced for a Fed decision, a flood of earnings, and a potential reescalation in the war with Iran.
<body><p>STORY: Wall Street's main indexes closed mixed on Tuesday with the Dow gaining 1%, the S&P 500 edging up about two-tenths of a percent and the Nasdaq dipping by roughly two-tenths of a percent.</p><p>Markets have been volatile this month as investors worry that Microsoft, Amazon and other tech heavyweights may be overspending on data centers in the race to build out AI infrastructure.</p><p>But Nancy Tengler, CEO and chief investment officer of Laffer Tengler Investments, said to expect these companies to announce more AI spending when they report quarterly results this week.</p><p>"Make no mistake, we're in an AI arms race. I think you will continue to see spending. I think you'll actually see companies increase spending next year and then things will normalize and stabilize... We're focused on adding to the US names because you can't have a situation where companies are penalized for spending, i.e. the hyperscalers, and companies are penalized for being on the receiving end to the spending, Micron, chip names. At some point, this will come, regress to the mean and we'll start to pay attention to fundamentals."</p><p>Shares of Microsoft rose ahead of its report on Wednesday, while Amazon dipped before its results on Thursday.</p><p>Shares of Apple closed almost 1% higher, though they rose nearly 2% during the trading session and briefly exceeded a $5 trillion market valuation for the first time. The iPhone maker reports its results on Thursday.</p><p>Outside of technology, shares of Coca-Cola rallied 5% after the beverage company raised its annual revenue and profit forecasts.</p><p>:: Archive</p><p>And shares of Boeing jumped nearly 5% after the airplane maker generated positive free cash flow as its turnaround plans gained momentum.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve is due to announce its interest-rate decision at the conclusion of its two-day policy meeting on Wednesday. Traders see about a 70% chance that the central bank will leave rates unchanged, according to CME's FedWatch tool.</p></body>
Between AI spending doubts, a potential Fed surprise, and new competition from China, here's what's rattling investors.
Stock Market Today: The Dow Jones index rose, but tech futures dropped as chip stocks Micron and Sandisk dived. Coca-Cola jumped on earnings.
Wall Street analysts are busy reshuffling their ratings ahead of the Fed meeting, with surprise double-upgrades, dramatic target cuts, and fresh initiations spanning surgical robots to cybersecurity. Find out which names made the biggest moves today.
Retail sentiment remains ‘bearish’ on SPY and deteriorated to ‘extremely bearish’ on QQQ, amid growing anxiety around technology stocks.
Who's ready for another round of tariffs?
SINGAPORE, July 28 (Reuters) - Asian markets fell on Tuesday led by chipmakers on unease about the massive funding demands of the AI boom, while a slide in oil prices did relatively little to lift
<body><p>STORY: Wall Street ended mixed on Monday, with the Dow gaining half a percent, the S&P 500 virtually flat and the Nasdaq dropping marginally.</p><p>Investors awaited earnings results from Big Tech companies this week, including Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Apple. Of the four, only Apple has seen significant gains this year, with investors concerned about future returns on massive AI spending.</p><p>Skyler Weinand is chief investment officer at Regan Capital.</p><p>"If they don't come out and beat [estimates], they're going to sell off even further. You're going to see some profit taking. You're going to see some hedge funds and retail [investors] potentially pack it in for the rest of the year, sitting up 10 to 15%. I don't blame them. // I don't really see the opportunity for these companies that have run so much over the past 18 to 24 months on that AI build out. I don't see that as a huge buying opportunity. I would rather be looking at some of the companies that have fallen behind a little bit. Auto manufacturers are having their day right now. Defense companies are having their day. Some of these companies that will continue to print earnings regardless of what comes from AI build out."</p><p>The Philadelphia semiconductor index extended its recent selloff, falling more than 2%. It is down 21% from its record high close on June 22 but remains up 63% in 2026.</p><p>Chinese chipmaker CXMT's stellar debut on Monday and a report that the country has started manufacturing homegrown deep ultraviolet chipmaking tools also signaled intensifying competition for the U.S. semiconductor industry.</p><p>Meanwhile, oil prices slid after President Donald Trump said the administration was having "good talks" with Iran, but warned that U.S. strikes would resume if the negotiations failed to deliver.</p><p>Shares of Occidental Petroleum fell more than 4% and Exxon Mobil also closed lower.</p><p>Traders this week will also turn their attention to Tuesday's start of the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting, with traders projecting a more than 60% chance that the central bank will leave rates unchanged, according to CME's FedWatch tool.</p></body>
U.S. stocks kicked off the week on a high note as oil futures fell. The Nasdaq Composite was up 0.3%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.3%. Oil futures slid, with Brent down 4.8% to $87.29 per barrel, while WTI crude fell 5.5% to $84.37.
Wall Street stocks are predicted to open sharply higher on Monday as a pause in US and Iranian attacks sent oil prices tumbling ahead of a massive week for markets, including a Federal Reserve meeting and earnings from several tech megacaps. Dow Jones futures were up 568 points, or 1.1%,...
Iran and Oman are also in talks that center around having Iran run vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz with fewer restrictions on ships.
Investors step into the busiest week of the quarter with hyperscaler earnings, the June Fed meeting, and escalations in the Middle East all in focus.
There's more to Trumpflation than just higher energy prices.
If you think the worst is over for inflation, you're about to be sorely mistaken.
Dow Jones futures will open Sunday evening, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures. Apple, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Amazon.com headline a massive earnings wave. The Federal Reserve meets, with a rate hike a possibility.
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