Summary · why it matters
US stock futures climbed early Monday as investors headed into one of the heaviest weeks of the quarter, with Dow Jones and S&P 500 futures each up 0.80% and Nasdaq-100 futures gaining 1.40%. Sentiment drew support from geopolitics, as the US and Iran paused fighting, sending Brent crude down 4% to below $86 a barrel and the VIX volatility gauge 4.52% lower. The earnings calendar is dense, with AstraZeneca and Nucor opening the week before Big Tech heavyweights Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Apple, and Amazon report alongside consumer names Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and Procter & Gamble, and chip designer Arm Holdings, while oil majors ExxonMobil and Chevron conclude the slate. Looming over all of it is the Federal Reserve's interest rate announcement on Wednesday, described as one of the least-telegraphed Fed decisions in years, with policymakers expected to maintain current rates while monitoring inflation progress, though a hike remains possible.