The S&P 500 rose Wednesday as traders tried to build on the sharp gains from the previous session, while Wall Street awaited the Federal Reserve’s latest monetary policy decision.
The broad market index rose 0.9%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 307 points, or 0.9%.. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.4%.
Micron Technology was among the best-performing S&P 500 stocks in the premarket, gaining more than 4%. Starbucks shares also climbed 3.5%, while Dow member Boeing advanced 2.3%.
Several Chinese stocks rocketed more than 20% higher after China signaled its support for overseas listings, after days of worries around delisting led them to tumble. Pinduoduo surged 35% and DiDi Global jumped 41%.
Futures were rallying in part on signs that a ceasefire could be possible in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a peace agreement was beginning to “sound more realistic” in an address to the nation Tuesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the BBC there was “some hope of reaching a compromise.” Russian State media quoting the Kremlin echoed similar sentiments overnight.
The war between Ukraine and Russia has sent ripples through global financial markets, sending commodity prices sharply higher and stocks lower. However, some commodities have cooled off in recent days, while the U.S. equity market tries to find its footing.
U.S. oil traded at around $95.70 per barrel Wednesday, after topping a multiyear high of $130 earlier this month.
Stocks, meanwhile, are coming off a stellar session in which the Dow surged nearly 600 points, while the S&P 500 snapped a three-day losing streak.
Big Fed decision ahead
To be sure, all eyes are on the Fed on Wednesday, as the central bank wraps up a key two-day policy meeting.
The Fed is widely expected to raise rates by a quarter-point, the first hike since 2018. Watchers are also expecting the central bank to offer a new quarterly forecast that could indicate five or six more hikes this year.
“My guess is it’s going to sound a little more hawkish than people want it to sound, and that’s going to be a little tough to digest, particularly in the fixed income markets,” David Zervos, chief market strategist at Jefferies told CNBC’s “Closing Bell” on Tuesday. “I think the equity market might digest it a little bit better, but it’s going to be a tough swallow.”
The Fed is expected to announce an interest rate decision and economic projections at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, which will followed by a briefing from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
