Stock Futures Steady as Fed Decision Looms; Tech Stocks Struggle Amid Tariff Concerns

U.S. stock futures remained flat Tuesday night as investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision. The Fed is expected to keep rates unchanged at 4.50%, marking its second consecutive hold, while releasing economic projections that may hint at future rate cuts.

Wall Street ended lower as a brief rebound lost steam. The S&P 500 fell 1.1% to 5,614.67, the NASDAQ Composite dropped 1.7% to 17,504.12, and the Dow Jones slid 0.6% to 41,581.31. Losses were driven by declining tech stocks, lingering trade war concerns, and economic slowdown fears.

NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) tumbled over 3% as its AI conference failed to excite investors. CEO Jensen Huang highlighted the firm’s role in AI inference but failed to reverse recent stock declines. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) rebounded 1.2% after plunging 5.3% amid weak sales, brand concerns, and CEO Elon Musk’s ties to President Trump’s administration.

Investor anxiety heightened as Trump reiterated plans for reciprocal tariffs on automobiles and commodities starting April 2. Many fear these policies will disrupt economic growth and fuel inflation, counteracting the Fed’s efforts to ease price pressures.

S&P 500 Futures held at 5,669.0 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures dipped slightly to 19,697.50. Dow Jones Futures remained flat at 41,947.0. The market remains on edge as traders brace for the Fed’s announcement and potential signals on future monetary policy.