U.S. stock futures suggest a flat open on Tuesday, signaling that markets may extend the muted performance seen in Monday’s trading session.
Investors are exercising caution ahead of key events this week, including the Federal Reserve’s meeting minutes due Wednesday and the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium starting Thursday.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will speak at the symposium on Friday, with his comments likely to influence interest rate expectations.
The CME Group’s FedWatch Tool shows an 83.1% probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut at the Fed’s September meeting.
Other upcoming data—weekly jobless claims, existing home sales, and leading economic indicators—could also draw attention.
On the economic front, the Commerce Department reported an unexpected increase in new residential construction in July.
After back-to-back gains, U.S. stocks drifted without clear direction on Monday. Major averages fluctuated around the unchanged line before ending mostly flat.
The Nasdaq rose 6.80 points, or less than 0.1%, to 21,629.77, while the S&P 500 fell 0.65 points to 6,449.15. The Dow slipped 34.30 points, or 0.1%, to 44,911.82.
Market volatility coincided with high-level meetings at the White House, where President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders.
These meetings followed Trump’s Alaska talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which achieved some progress but no formal agreement. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Zelenskyy has the power to end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to.”
Investor attention is also on Jackson Hole, where central bank officials are expected to comment on monetary policy.
The NAHB reported a slight decline in builder confidence for August, with the housing index falling to 32 from 33 in July, below expectations.
Sector-wise, natural gas stocks dropped 1.5% as prices declined, commercial real estate shares softened, and oil service stocks rose 1.2% alongside crude prices.
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