In Monday’s pre-market trading, U.S. index futures are mixed, with Wall Street in anticipation of the monetary policy guidelines that the Federal Reserve is expected to release during the week.

At 06:31 AM, the futures of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DOWI:DJI) fell 15 points, or 0.04%. The S&P 500 futures advanced 0.37%, and the Nasdaq-100 futures gained 0.73%. The yield on 10-year Treasury bonds was at 4.308%.

In the commodities market, West Texas Intermediate crude for April rose 0.89% to $81.76 per barrel. Brent crude for May rose 0.71%, near $85.95 per barrel. Iron ore traded on the Dalian exchange fell 0.94% to $111.55 per metric ton.

On Monday’s economic agenda, investors await the publication of the homebuilders’ confidence index for March, scheduled for 10:00 AM by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Analysts project an indicator at 48 points.

The Asia-Pacific stock markets closed higher, stimulated by Chinese economic indicators above expectations and anticipation of the Bank of Japan’s interest rate policy. Japan’s Nikkei index led the gains with a jump of 2.67%, driven by shares in the electronics and real estate sectors, while the Shanghai Composite in China advanced 0.99%, reflecting optimism in the regional economy. Despite concerns about the real estate sector, evidenced by the drop in new home sales, the world’s second-largest economy revealed surprising increases in industrial production and retail sales.

European markets are showing gains, with investors’ eyes on the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting. Expectations are growing as the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) prepares to begin its deliberations on Tuesday, with crucial announcements on monetary policy expected on Wednesday.

On Friday, shares in the United States retreated as investors focused on the imminent Federal Reserve meeting. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 closed lower for the third consecutive day. The Dow Jones fell 190.89 points, the S&P 500 retreated 33.39 points, and the Nasdaq dropped 155.36 points.

Although the Fed is expected to keep rates unchanged, investors are eager for any indication of future adjustments. According to the CME FedWatch tool, there is an almost unanimous expectation, with a 99% probability, that the American Central Bank will keep interest rates stable this week. However, optimism for a rate cut in June has receded, now estimated at about 55%, reflecting a shift in market forecasts and sentiments in recent days.

In terms of quarterly results, Science Applications International Corp (NYSE:SAIC), Embraer (NYSE:ERJ), Niu Technologies (NASDAQ:NIU), OneConnect Financial Technology (NYSE:OCFT), Exagen Inc (NASDAQ:XGN), ProSomnus (NASDAQ:OSA), and Acurx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACXP) are scheduled to present financial reports before the market opens.

After the close, the numbers from StoneCo (NASDAQ:STNE), Dlocal (NASDAQ:DLO), Lantern Pharma (NASDAQ:LTRN), Comtech Telecommunications (NASDAQ:CMTL), FreightCar America (NASDAQ:RAIL), Westport Fuel Systems (NASDAQ:WPRT), Bit Digital (NASDAQ:BTBT), Eyenovia (NASDAQ:EYEN), Joyy (NASDAQ:YY), and more are awaited.