US stock futures moved higher on Tuesday as a packed earnings week continued and investors looked ahead to the Federal Reserve’s upcoming interest rate decision.
Contracts on the S&P 500 (ES=F) rose 0.3%, while those on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) advanced 0.6%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) were little changed on the heels of gains for Wall Street indexes.
Earnings due Tuesday include results from General Motors (GM), American Airlines (AAL) and Boeing (BA). Elsewhere in corporates, UnitedHealth shares and other insurer stocks sank after a report said the Trump administration plans to keep Medicare payments to insurers roughly steady next year.
Earnings season ramps up significantly in the days ahead, with more than 90 S&P 500 companies scheduled to report. That slate includes several members of the so-called “Magnificent Seven,” with Meta (META), Microsoft (MSFT), and Tesla (TSLA) set to release results on Wednesday, followed by Apple (AAPL) on Thursday.
Later, the Federal Reserve begins its two-day meeting, which will bring its first policy decision of the year. While policymakers are widely expected to hold the benchmark interest rate steady on Wednesday, traders will be watching closely for signals on the timing of future rate cuts. Updated readings on consumer confidence and home prices due later Tuesday offer insight into the economy ahead of the call.
Meanwhile, investors are grappling with new risks from Washington. President Trump said late Monday that tariffs on South Korean products — including autos, pharmaceuticals, and lumber — will be raised to 25% from 15%. Trump cited delays in South Korea’s legislature approving a trade agreement reached with the US last summer.
A government shutdown is also looming as Senate Democrats attempt to block a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security. The political pushback follows federal agents killing Alex Pretti, an American citizen, in Minneapolis.
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