Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 17, 2026.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
Stock futures traded near the flat line on Tuesday night as traders awaited the Federal Reserve’s rate policy decision.
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 39 points, or 0.08%. S&P 500 futures dropped 0.04%, while Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.05%.
Major U.S. stock averages rose on Tuesday, but closed off their highs of the session as oil prices rose. The S&P 500 finished the session about 0.3% higher, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed nearly 0.5%. The Dow added 46.85 points, or 0.1%.
President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Tuesday that the U.S. did not need help from NATO allies in the Middle East. The president’s comments came after he signaled on Monday that a coalition may be formed to help protect ships attempting to travel through the Strait of Hormuz.
Crude oil prices continued their climb, with West Texas Intermediate futures advancing nearly 3% to close at $96.21. Brent futures advanced 3.2% to settle at $103.42 — the highest close since August 2022. A wave of Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates’ energy infrastructure also sparked fears about crude and fuel shipping.
Investors are now looking ahead to the Fed’s interest rate decision expected on Wednesday. Markets are expecting the central bank to keep interest rates unchanged in a range between 3.5% to 3.75%. Traders will be watching for any guidance from Fed Chair Jerome Powell on whether oil prices could impact future monetary policy
“Markets continue to trade with some hesitation ahead of [Wednesday’s] Fed decision and elevated oil prices. While the Fed is likely to hold rates steady [Wednesday’s], investors will be looking to see how policymakers frame the Iran conflict in the context of inflation risks and potential impacts on the growth outlook,” said Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial.
Saglimbene said he also believes the healthy earnings backdrop is also lending fundamental support for U.S. stocks, which he said investors may be looking at closely this week amid elevated geopolitical uncertainty tied to Iran, as well as artificial intelligence disruption fears.
Jeff Buchbinder, LPL chief equity strategist, similarly said he thinks that a solid economy, “more reasonable” valuations and good corporate fundamentals continue to support investor sentiment.
In addition to the upcoming Fed decision, traders are also awaiting the producer price index reading for February. The Dow Jones consensus calls for a 0.3% increase.
With respect to earnings, eyes are on Micron Technology, as the chipmaker is slated to release its latest quarterly results after the bell Wednesday. The stock has been on a tear this year, rallying nearly 62% amid soaring demand for high-bandwidth memory.
SEC Chair Atkins says agency will seek comment around quarterly reporting proposal
Paul Atkins, chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, on Tuesday said the regulatory agency will seek comment around a potential move to scrap the requirement for quarterly financial reports.
“So we’re going out for comments to see what people say about that. … I think it’s appropriate to ask for comment at this point in time,” Atkins said to media at a blockchain event.
Atkin’s statement follows a Wall Street Journal report from Monday, citing people familiar with the matter, that the SEC is preparing a proposal to get rid of the requirement that companies must report their earnings every quarter. According to the WSJ, the SEC is considering giving companies the option to instead provide results twice per year.
— Pia Singh
Shares of Lululemon, Docusign, Oklo move after quarterly reports
Check out the stocks moving after Tuesday’s bell:
- Lululemon — Shares of the athletic apparel retailer topped the Street’s fiscal fourth quarter expectations, but shares declined about 1% on the back of weaker-than-expected sales and earnings forecasts for full-year 2026. Lululemon said it is expecting sales to be between $11.35 billion and $11.50 billion, below expectations of $11.52 billion, per LSEG. Its earnings guidance of $12.10 to $12.30 per share also missed consensus estimates of $12.58.
- Docusign — The software stock gained 1.3% in the after-hours session. DocuSign beat fourth-quarter estimates and gave strong guidance for its first quarter and fiscal year. The company anticipates first-quarter revenues to come out between $822 million and $826 million, while analysts polled by LSEG expected $813 million.
- Oklo — The nuclear tech company posted a full-year loss of 72 cents per share, compared to the loss of 74 cents per share a year earlier. Shares fell more than 2%.
— Pia Singh
