U.S. stock futures were little changed on Monday evening after Wall Street’s main indexes posted record closing highs, driven by optimism over an expected Federal Reserve rate cut and signs of progress in U.S.-China trade negotiations.
S&P 500 Futures inched 0.1% higher to 6,914.50 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures gained 0.2% to 26,008.75 points by 20:00 ET (00:00 GMT). Dow Jones Futures traded 0.1% up at 47,749.0 points.
Wall st logs record highs with Fed, US-China trade in focus In the regular session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.7%, the S&P 500 advanced 1.2%, and the NASDAQ Composite jumped 1.9%, all closing at new all-time highs for the second straight session.
The rally was fueled by broad-based buying across sectors, led by technology and consumer discretionary shares, as traders looked ahead to a critical week of central bank and corporate events.
Markets are now focused on the Fed’s two-day policy meeting starting Tuesday, where the central bank is widely expected to deliver a 25-basis-point rate cut.
The move would mark the second reduction this year, bringing the federal funds rate down to the 3.75%-4.00% range. Bets on a cut solidified after a softer-than-expected September Consumer Price Index report.
Investor sentiment also drew support from signs of easing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. U.S. and Chinese officials concluded constructive talks in Kuala Lumpur, paving the way for a framework deal aimed at averting new tariffs.
3rd party Ad. Not an offer or recommendation by Investing.com. See disclosure here or remove ads. The agreement, expected to be finalized when President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week, could include measures to roll back some existing duties and ease restrictions on rare-earth exports.
Qualcomm launches AI chip; Big Tech earnings in focus Meanwhile, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) shares jumped more than 11%, boosting the broader chip sector after unveiling a new AI chip as the chipmaker seeks to rival leaders Nvidia and AMD.
Investors are also bracing for a packed week of Big Tech earnings, with results due from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META).
The so-called “Magnificent 7” stocks helped power Monday’s gains as traders positioned for upbeat results driven by artificial intelligence and cloud spending.
