U.S. equity futures traded cautiously lower on Sunday evening as market participants prepared for a pivotal week that includes a two-day Federal Reserve policy meeting and a heavy slate of corporate earnings. At 20:10 ET (01:10 GMT), S&P 500 futures were down about 0.3% at 6,926.0 points, Nasdaq 100 futures slipped roughly 0.5% to 25,618.0 points, and Dow Jones futures were trading 0.3% lower at 40,140.0 points.
The softer tone in futures reflects lingering fallout from the prior week, when major U.S. indexes finished mixed amid elevated geopolitical risks and trade-related uncertainty. Over the past trading week the S&P 500 closed 0.4% lower, the NASDAQ Composite was marginally lower, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average eased 0.5%.
Market nerves were stirred by aggressive tariff rhetoric from the White House tied to efforts to expand strategic influence in the Arctic, specifically comments around Greenland. Those threats, framed as part of a broader push on trade policy, prompted concern about a widening transatlantic trade dispute. Geopolitical anxieties were further intensified when President Donald Trump cautioned on Saturday that he would impose a 100% tariff on Canada if Ottawa proceeded with a proposed trade deal with China.
Safe-haven demand was evident in commodity markets as gold prices climbed to record levels, trading above $5,000 an ounce for the first time. The jump in gold underscored the market's move toward lower-risk assets in response to the heightened political and trade tensions.
Investors are now focused on the Federal Reserve's two-day meeting that concludes on Wednesday. Markets generally expect the central bank to pause after three consecutive rate cuts, but traders will scrutinize both the Fed's policy statement and Chair Jerome Powell's comments for guidance on the likely path of future interest-rate decisions.
In addition to the policy meeting, a substantial portion of the S&P 500 is scheduled to report quarterly results this week - roughly one-fifth of the index. Several of the market's largest technology companies are among those delivering results, and their reports could shape market direction. Four members of the so-called "Magnificent 7" are due to report this week: Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is set to release results on Wednesday, joined on that day by Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META). Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) will report on Thursday.
Market participants will be watching those earnings for indicators of consumer resilience, progress on artificial intelligence initiatives, and commentary on margin outlooks in the face of rising costs and continued geopolitical uncertainty.
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