United States stock futures traded slightly lower on Tuesday night (Wednesday AEDT), as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate decision.
By 9:55 am AEDT (10:55 pm GMT), futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 each moved 0.1% lower.
In after-hours trading, Lululemon Athletica slipped 1.3%, despite reporting stronger-than-expected earnings, as investors reacted to weaker-than-anticipated guidance for 2026.
The muted moves in futures followed a modestly positive session on Wall Street, where major indices closed higher but off their intraday peaks.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 46.85 points, or around 0.1%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.3% and the Nasdaq Composite advanced nearly 0.5%.
Investor sentiment remained sensitive to geopolitical developments. Donald Trump stated in a Truth Social post that the United States did not require assistance from NATO or allied nations, following earlier indications that a coalition could be formed to safeguard shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil markets continued to exert a strong influence on equities. U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude rose nearly 3% to settle at $96.21 per barrel, while Brent crude gained 3.2% to close at $103.42, marking its highest settlement since August 2022.
The advance comes amid heightened concerns over supply disruptions after a series of Iranian attacks on energy infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates.
Attention now turns squarely to the Federal Reserve’s policy announcement, due on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT). Markets widely expect the central bank to leave interest rates unchanged within a range of 3.5% to 3.75%.
Investors will closely parse commentary from Fed Chair Jerome Powell for any signals on how persistent strength in oil prices could shape the future path of monetary policy.
Beyond the Fed decision, market participants are also watching earnings from Micron Technology, which is scheduled to report its latest quarterly results after the closing bell.
