Preview of US Stock Market | The three major stock index futures rose together, the Federal Reserve interest rate decision is imminent tonight, and Micron Technology will announce its financial report after the market closes.

date
20:20 18/03/2026
avatar
GMT Eight
Before the US stock market opened on March 18th (Wednesday), futures for the three major US stock indexes all rose.
Pre-market Market Trends 1. Before the market opened on March 18th (Wednesday), the US stock market saw futures for the three major stock indexes rise. As of writing, the Dow Jones futures were up 0.10%, S&P 500 index futures were up 0.14%, and Nasdaq futures were up 0.14%. 2. As of writing, the German DAX index rose by 0.26%, the UK FTSE 100 index by 0.05%, the French CAC 40 index by 0.67%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 index by 0.36%. 3. As of writing, WTI crude oil fell by 0.42% to $95.13 per barrel. Brent crude oil rose by 1.52% to $104.99 per barrel. Market News Powell prepares to face oil price shocks! The market is betting that the Federal Reserve will "stay put", with the real suspense lying in the dot plot and economic forecasts. The Federal Reserve will announce its latest interest rate decision early Thursday Beijing time. Economists believe that the Federal Reserve has little choice this week but to continue staying put, as it grapples with a series of extremely complex and conflicting forces within the US economy. Pricing in the futures market shows that the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announcing a rate cut at this meeting is close to zero. Pricing indicates that policymakers will not consider easing policy until at least September or even October, and even then, traders are pricing in a rate cut only once this year. Powell and his colleagues must deal with concerns over the Middle East war, soaring inflation, and mixed signals from the labor market. Economic forecasts and the dot plot forecast have become key concerns for investors and traders at this week's Federal Reserve monetary policy meeting. The most sensitive issue has shifted from "when to start cutting rates" to "facing concerns about slowing growth and inflation, stagflation, which end will the Federal Reserve pay more attention to". Morgan Stanley: GEO Group Inc.'s impact is the "final blow", and the sell-off is coming to an end! Morgan Stanley's Chief U.S. Equity Strategist Wilson stated that the recent intense market volatility is not the beginning of a sell-off, but is nearing its end. He pointed out that "this adjustment has matured in terms of time and price." He supported this view with a startling data point - 50% of stocks in the Russell 3000 index have fallen by at least 20% from their 52-week highs; in the S&P 500 index components, this ratio exceeds 40%. He believes that this week's sell-off is a "pullback in a bull market," rather than a new period of decline. This began when liquidity tightened last fall, long before the recent surge in oil prices and the spike in the Volatility Index (VIX) due to the escalation of the Iran conflict. The political shock from GEO Group Inc served as the "final blow" - such surrender events usually signal an end rather than a beginning.