United States stock futures were mostly unchanged late Monday (Tuesday AEST), with investor focus turning to the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy meeting and continued uncertainty about newly announced U.S. tariffs.
By 8:25 am AEST (10:25 pm GMT), Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 0.1%, S&P 500 futures were flat, and Nasdaq-100 futures dipped 0.1%.
The subdued trading comes ahead of the Fed’s two-day meeting beginning Tuesday, the first since President Donald Trump’s early April announcement of new “reciprocal” tariffs. Although market expectations for a rate cut remain low - with CME Group’s FedWatch Tool showing just a 2.7% probability - investors are keenly awaiting Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s comments on inflation and economic growth.
In extended trading, Palantir Technologies dropped 8.3% despite reporting better-than-expected results and raising its outlook. Revenue rose 39% year-on-year to US$884 million.
Ford Motor fell 2.5% after surpassing EPS estimates but withdrawing forward guidance due to tariff-related uncertainty.
Clorox declined 2.8% after missing revenue and profit expectations. Management pointed to volatile consumer demand and geopolitical headwinds.
Markets were already on edge following Monday’s main session as major benchmark averages retreated. The Dow lost 0.2%, the S&P 500 fell 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.7%.
Looking ahead, U.S. trade deficit data for March is due later on Tuesday, as well as earnings from DoorDash, Advanced Micro Devices, and Super Micro Computer.
