U.S. stock futures were higher ahead of Wednesday’s session as investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision, while easing oil prices offered some relief. Crude slipped on Wednesday after a deal to resume exports via Turkey’s Ceyhan port, though Brent remained above $100 as Iran conflict risks persist.
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Trade QQQ with leverageFutures on the Nasdaq 100 (NDX), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), and the S&P 500 Index (SPX) were up by 0.67%, 0.56%, and 0.54%, respectively, at 3:30 a.m. EST on March 18.
At the time of writing, Brent crude (CM:BZ) was down 1.72% to $101.61 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude was down 3.14% at $93.19 a barrel.
Stocks rose for a second straight day on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq, the S&P 500, and the Dow up 0.5%, 0.3%, and 0.1%, respectively.
While markets expect interest rates to remain steady in the 3.5% to 3.75% range, traders are on the sidelines awaiting tomorrow’s Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) to see how the central bank will account for recent inflation spikes.
Micron (MU) is also in the spotlight ahead of its earnings report, with the stock up nearly 62% this year on strong AI‑related demand.