Ahead Fed

• Indian share markets remained steady, with the Sensex rising 50 points and the Nifty crossing the 24,000 mark. • Market stability was driven by softer crude oil prices and investor expectations that the US Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged. • Global performance was mixed, as the Dow Jones hit a record high of 51,999.67 while the Nasdaq fell 1.15% due to pressure on technology stocks.

• Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said on May 29 that inflation progress “appears to have stalled,” with total PCE inflation at 3.8% in April and core PCE at 3.3%. • She said the U.S. economy has remained resilient, but noted the labor market is vulnerable to shocks and that growth has slowed since last summer. • The remarks matter because they reinforce the debate inside the Fed over how long to keep rates restrictive while inflation remains above the 2% target.

• U.S. stock futures fell late Sunday with Dow Jones Industrial Average futures down 130 points or 0.3%, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures also declining after record highs on Friday. • West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 2% above $96 per barrel following collapsed U.S.-Iran talks announced Saturday. • The Federal Reserve's interest-rate committee meets Tuesday-Wednesday, with Chair Jerome Powell's likely final press conference anticipated amid market highs.

• US stock indexes opened lower on March 18, 2026, following accelerated Producer Price Index (PPI) data for February, with Russell 2000 down 0.84%, Dow Jones -0.42%, S&P 500 -0.28%, and Nasdaq -0.23%. • The Cboe Volatility Index rose 3.76% to 23.21, while US 10-year Treasury yield increased 2.2 basis points to 4.224%, and gold futures fell nearly 3% to $4,860.40. • Investors await Federal Reserve's afternoon decision expected to keep rates steady but provide economic insights amid inflation concerns and Iran conflict escalation.

• U.S. stocks ended higher on March 17, with the Dow Jones up 0.1% to 46,993.26, S&P 500 up 0.25% to 6,716.09, and Nasdaq up 0.47% to 22,479.53. • Energy sector led gains at 1.02% amid oil surge tied to Middle East tensions, while health care lagged down 0.92%. • Investors await Federal Reserve policy guidance from its latest meeting, boosting market sentiment despite volatility.