Stock Futures Flat As Investors Await Fed Meeting

Stock futures are muted heading into another week of trading in New York. (NYSE)

Stock futures were flat as investors prepared for this week’s Federal Reserve monetary policy meeting.

Shortly after 6 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures, S&P 500 futures, and Nasdaq Composite futures had barely budged, while gold and oil futures edged lower.

The Fed’s meeting begins Tuesday and concludes Wednesday. Markets anticipate a quarter-point cut, and investors will be listening closely to what Chair Jerome Powell says at his press conference Wednesday. Also expected are updated economic projections from Fed members.

There could also be news on tariffs and trade policy this week after President Donald Trump and other Republicans called for European countries to enact sanctions of 50% to 100% on imports from China for buying Russian oil.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R, S.C.) on Sunday told NBC News’ Meet the Press that “it is now time for Europe to get behind the Trump approach.” He has co-sponsored legislation to impose secondary sanctions on countries like China and India for purchasing Russian oil.

Speaker Mike Johnson told CBS’ Face the Nation that “there’s a big appetite” in Congress for sanctions as a way to end the war in Ukraine, adding that “the appropriate sanctions on Russia are far overdue.”

In other economic reports this week, the Census Bureau will release August retail sales on Tuesday and August new residential construction data on Wednesday.

The Nasdaq Composite last week closed up 2.0%, notching a new record close and its 25th record close of 2025, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The Nasdaq is up 14.7% year to date.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average last week closed up 433 points, or 0.95%, snapping a two-week losing streak and posting the largest one-week point and percentage gain since the week ended Aug. 22, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The Dow is up 7.7% so far this year.

The S&P 500 index closed up 1.6% last week, in the largest one-week point and percentage gain since the week ended Aug. 8. The S&P 500 is up 11.95% this year.

Write to Janet H. Cho at janet.cho@dowjones.com