Off the wire
• U.N. chief calls for collective efforts to address challenge of human mobility  • Britain says participated in coalition air strike killing dozens of Syrian soldiers  • Macedonian mining sector to improve next year: expert  • Djibouti launches major housing project  • Zambia starts vaccination of children against measles  • Russia to develop multi-party system: Putin  • Zambian opposition leader seeks to rejoin ruling party  • Urgent: IOM officially joins UN system  • ICBC signs MOUs to strengthen cooperation related to "Belt and Road" initiative  • Egypt rejects U.S. call to release activist accused of "exploiting street children"  
You are here: 　 Home

U.S. stocks open higher ahead of Fed meeting

Xinhua, September 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

U.S. stocks opened higher Monday as Wall Street awaited the Federal Reserve's policy meeting.

Investors kept a close eye on the Fed's two-day policy meeting, scheduled to begin Tuesday, for more clues on the timing of a next rate hike.

Financial markets have been choppy last week on contrasting remarks on rate hikes by Fed officials.

"The Fed is expected to leave rates unchanged this week, but investors are now looking for a hike in December. Fed officials have called a hike before the end of the year 'likely,' but they said the same thing about a hike before the end of the summer in June and July," said Chris Low, chief economist at FTN Financial.

Meanwhile, oil prices were also in focus, which traded about 1 percent higher after Venezuela said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers were close to reaching an output deal.

Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 79.92 points, or 0.44 percent, to 18,203.72. The S&P 500 added 8.20 points, or 0.38 percent, to 2,147.36. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 19.19 points, or 0.37 percent, to 5,263.76.

On Friday, U.S. stocks ended lower after wavering in a tight range as investors pondered over the key inflation data. Endi