U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher Ahead of Fed Meeting

U.S. stock futures inched upward early Monday as investors braced for the Federal Reserve's pivotal interest rate decision later this week. Nasdaq 100 (NDX), S&P 500 (SPX), and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures ROSE 0.14%, 0.14%, and 0.15% respectively in pre-market trading.

The muted Optimism follows a mixed Friday session where profit-taking dragged the SPX and DJIA down 0.05% and 0.59%, while tech strength propelled the NDX to a fourth consecutive record close. All three indices posted weekly gains amid growing expectations for monetary policy easing - with the SPX notching its fifth positive week in six.

Market participants now await Wednesday's FOMC meeting with near-certainty (96% probability) of a rate cut, fueled by cooling labor data and subsiding inflation pressures. The decision could catalyze cross-asset volatility, particularly for risk-sensitive cryptocurrencies often correlated with equity market liquidity conditions.