U.S. stock-index futures pointed to what could be the third-straight losing session for Wall Street on Tuesday, as investors grew wary of equities in the countdown to comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
What are major indexes doing?
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures
YMU19, -0.41%
fell 95 points, or 0.4%, to 26,698, while S&P 500 futures
ESU19, -0.37%
dropped 10.35 points, or 0.4%, to 2,968.25. Nasdaq-100 futures
NQU19, -0.38%
dropped 31.5 points, or 0.4%, to 7,770.
On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA, -0.43%
fell 115.98 points, or 0.4%, to close at 26,806.14, while the S&P 500 index
SPX, -0.48%
declined 0.5% to finish at 2,975.95. The Nasdaq Composite Index
COMP, -0.78%
declined 0.8% to end at 8,098.38.
Need to Know: Weaker growth will offset a Fed rate cut — so sell stocks, warns Morgan Stanley
What’s driving the market?
Investors appear less willing to hold stocks and other perceived riskier assets as they wait for two-day testimony before Congress by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell due to start Wednesday. Markets are hoping the central bank’s chief will shed some light on a meeting due later this month, with investors clinging to hopes for a rate cut.
Expectations for interest-rate reductions have been scaled back since last week’s strong June jobs report, though a quarter-point reduction at the Fed’s meeting at the end of the month is still seen by market participants as virtually certain.
“A cut in July will be difficult to dodge given current market pricing but Powell may use the opportunity to manage expectations beyond the meeting,” said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA, in a note to clients. “How successful he’ll be is another thing as investors don’t appear to want to hear it and may instead continue to apply the pressure going into the September meeting.”
Read: Could the Fed surprise the stock market by skipping a July rate cut? It’s not out of the question
On Tuesday, Powell is scheduled to give opening remarks at a conference at 8:45 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss recent stress tests for banks. Vice Chairman Randal Quarles will speak at that same conference at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. St. Louis Fed President Jim Bullard and Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic are also due to make appearances elsewhere Tuesday.
On the economic data front, the National Federation of Independent Business released its small business optimism index, which fell to 103.3 in June, from 105 in May. The decline follows gains in the previous four months, and remains above the historical average.
At 10 a.m. Eastern Time, the Labor Department will issue its estimate of employment openings in the U.S. in May, along with the rate at which Americans were hired, fired, or left their jobs.
Which stocks are in focus?
Shares of beverage maker PepsiCo Inc.
PEP, -0.35%
were up 0.9% in premarket action after reporting second-quarter results that topped expectations and affirming its full-year outlook.
Shares of Piper Jaffray Co.
PJC, -1.52%
could be in focus, after a report in the Wall Street Journal that the firm is nearing a deal to buy Sandler O’Neill + Partners LP for $485 million in cash and stock. Shares were unchanged so far in premarket action.
Etsy, Inc.
ETSY, +0.99%
announced its intention Tuesday to offer free shipping for customers with orders of at least $35. Shares were down 0.6% before the bell Tuesday.
How are other markets trading?
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury
TMUBMUSD10Y, +0.04%
note has edged up to 2.064%.
In Asia, stocks struggled, and the Hang Seng
HSI, -0.76%
led decliners with a drop of 0.7%. European stocks
SXXP, -0.75%
were under pressure, led by a 1.3% drop for the German DAX 30 index
DAX, -1.08%
In commodities markets, oil prices moved higher, while gold prices
GCQ19, -0.40%
fell 0.7%. The U.S. dollar
DXY, +0.12%
was higher, notably against the British pound
GBPUSD, -0.4234%
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https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-stock-futures-fall-as-investors-brace-for-comments-from-fed-chairman-powell-2019-07-09
2019-07-09 11:47:00Z
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