US pre-open: Futures higher as traders look ahead to Fed decision

26th Oct 2026 12:07

(Sharecast News) - Wall Street futures were in the green ahead of the opening bell on Monday as market participants awaited a raft of central bank decisions later in the week.

As of 1245 GMT, Dow Jones futures were up 0.37%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures had the indices opening 0.33% and 0.55% higher, respectively.

The Dow closed 652.82 points lower on Friday amid rising oil prices and ongoing concerns that the artificial intelligence trade may be wavering.

Investors were now looking ahead interest rate decisions from the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan - due on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, respectively. Traders will be focused on the US central bank's call, with futures implying around a 90% chance policymakers keep rates at 3.75% to 4%. Even so, Bank of America said a quarter‑point hike remained possible, describing it as a "heavy lift" but not off the table.

Oil prices were also in focus prior to the open, offering some relief after last week's sharp run‑up, with Brent falling 1.90% to $114.50, while West Texas Intermediate slipped 2.30% to $100.88. Brent had hit its highest level since April on Friday amid reports the US and Israel could be preparing strikes on Iran after the midterm elections.

In the corporate space, Verizon reported a steady rise in third‑quarter revenuse on Monday, with earnings improving and adjusted profitability hitting a new high. The telecoms giant posted 1.5% year‑on‑year improvement in operating revenues to $34.3bn, while consolidated net income rose 5.2% to $5.3bn, and earnings per share increased to $1.25 from $1.17. Adjusted EPS climbed 8.3% to $1.31, while adjusted EBITDA advanced 8% to a record $13.8bn. Verizon also announced an agreement worth over $2bn with Amazon Web Services.

On the macro front, the Chicago Federal Reserve's national activity index improved in September, rising to +0.07 from -0.08 in August, pointing to a modest pickup in US economic momentum. Production‑related indicators made the biggest positive contribution, strengthening to +0.13 from -0.06, while sales, orders and inventories also turned firmer at +0.02 versus -0.03 previously. Employment was broadly neutral after a slight drag in August. By contrast, personal consumption and housing weighed on the headline figure, with their contribution slipping to -0.08 from +0.02 a month earlier. The index's three‑month moving average edged up to +0.03 from +0.01, suggesting underlying activity remains slightly above trend.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com