Wall Street monitors Federal Reserve meeting

U.S. stock index futures were mixed Tuesday morning, as market participants braced for the first day of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate meeting.

At around 02:00 a.m. ET, Dow futures dipped 25 points, indicating a negative open of more than 15 points. Futures on the S&P and Nasdaq were seen pointing in opposite directions.

Market focus is largely attuned to the U.S. central bank, with policymakers set to begin a two-day meeting later on Tuesday.

The Federal Reserve is expected to leave borrowing costs unchanged, despite fresh demands from President Donald Trump to cut interest rates.

Investors are likely to closely monitor whether policymakers at the central bank lay the groundwork for a rate cut later in the year.

Fresh hopes for looser monetary policy have eased tensions in risk asset markets, which were hit hard last month by escalating trade tensions between the world’s largest economies.

On the data front, housing starts and building permits for May are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. ET.

In corporate news, Parsons will report its latest results before the opening bell. The construction and engineering company, known for building airports and subways, is poised to release its first quarterly earnings since an initial public offering (IPO) earlier this year.

Jabil Circuit and La-Z-Boy will report their latest quarterly results after market close.