US markets remain near record levels: S&P 500 falls slightly; Traders brace for Fed signals on 2026 interest rates – The Times of India

American stock market Today: U.S. stocks showed little movement Wednesday morning as investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s policy announcement. The S&P 500 fell 0.1% but remained close to its record level, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was unchanged and the Nasdaq fell 0.3%. Treasury yields also showed little change as traders prepared for the Fed’s decision, AP reported.Before the market opened, futures on the S&P 500 and Dow were down slightly, below 0.1%, while futures on the Nasdaq were down by a similar margin. Market participants widely expect the Fed to cut its key interest rate for the third time this year in an effort to support employment. Attention is also focused on signals about interest rate movements in 2026, with many anticipating a more cautious approach to future cuts.Several companies experienced notable pre-market activity. Cracker Barrel fell 8% after a 4.7% decline in same-store sales in the first quarter and a cut to full-year sales expectations following a failed attempt to revamp its brand name and restaurants.PepsiCo climbed 1.4% after unveiling plans to cut prices and eliminate nearly 20% of its product line under a deal with an activist investor. The company plans to focus the savings on marketing and increasing value to consumers. GameStop lost nearly 7% even after beating earnings expectations as revenue fell below expectations, AP reported.Oracle, a major player in the AI ​​industry, will announce its quarterly results after trading hours. Despite shares rising more than 30% this year, they have fallen by a similar magnitude since early September due to concerns about cash flow from AI investments.Global markets showed mixed results. In Europe, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.4%, Germany’s DAX fell 0.5% and Britain’s FTSE 100 gained 0.3%. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.1% to 50,602.80, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.1% to 8,579.40 and South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.2% to 4,135.00. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.4% to 25,540.78, Shanghai’s Composite fell 0.2% to 3,900.50 and Taiwan’s Taiex rose 0.8%.On the commodity side, U.S. crude fell 30 cents to $58.55 per barrel, while Brent crude fell 26 cents to $62.20 per barrel. Silver hit a new high, trading above $60 an ounce.Investors are now closely watching the Fed’s announcement, weighing the potential benefits of lower rates against the risk of higher inflation, which continues to exceed the central bank’s 2% target.