U.S. stock index futures fell modestly on Sunday evening as markets braced for a key week featuring a Federal Reserve policy meeting and a wave of corporate earnings, following a rocky week on Wall Street dominated by geopolitical strains and trade uncertainties.
S&P 500 Futures inched 0.3% lower to 6,926.0 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures fell 0.5% to 25,618.0 points by 20:10 ET (01:10 GMT). Dow Jones Futures traded 0.3% lower at 40,140.0 points.
Geopolitical risks, Trump tariff threats spark risk-off mood Last week, the S&P 500 ended 0.4% lower, and the NASDAQ Composite closed down marginally, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.5%.
Stocks pulled back largely on fallout from President Donald Trump’s aggressive stance on Greenland, where tariff threats tied to his push to gain strategic influence in the Arctic rattled markets and sparked concerns of a broader transatlantic trade conflict.
Global worries remained elevated as Trump warned on Saturday he would impose a 100% tariff on Canada if Ottawa follows through on a proposed trade deal with China.
Gold prices surged to record highs above $5,000 an ounce for the first time, underscoring a broader risk-off mood.
Fed meet, ’Mag 7’ earnings awaited Investors now turn their attention to the Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting set to conclude on Wednesday, with markets broadly expecting the central bank to hold interest rates steady after three consecutive cuts in previous meetings.
While a pause in rate moves is largely priced in, traders will be closely analysing the Fed’s statement and Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks for clues on the future path of interest rates.
The calendar this week is also packed with corporate earnings that could influence market direction. About one-fifth of the S&P 500 is due to report quarterly results, including four of the so-called “Magnificent 7” megacap companies:
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is due to report on Wednesday, alongside Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), while Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is scheduled to release its results on Thursday.
Investors will scrutinize these reports for signs of resilience in consumer demand, progress on artificial intelligence initiatives, and the outlook for margins amid rising costs and geopolitical uncertainty.
