Dow Jones, S&P 500, Nasdaq: Wall Street eröffnet im Minus – Keine Tendenz bei Fed-Entscheid

Investors in the United States cautiously begin trading in the new stock market week. Early trading on Tuesday sees the major indices lower. The US Standard Index Dow Jones drops 0.8 percent to around 53,000 points. The broader S&P 500 falls 0.4 percent to 7,690 index points. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite also slips 0.4 percent to 26,400 points.

The Nasdaq 100, reflecting the 100 non-financial companies with the highest market capitalization, remains largely unchanged. No trading took place on Wall Street on Monday due to a holiday. Trading on Tuesday is also relatively light. Like in Europe, rising energy prices dampen investors' mood. Over the coming days, monetary policy is expected to be the decisive factor in US markets.

Next Friday, the US Labor Department will release its initial estimate of August inflation development. Last, the US inflation rate stood at 3.4 percent. The next week follows the interest rate decision of the US Federal Reserve (Fed). The trend whether the central bank will raise the interest rate level remains unclear. Some Fed officials have indicated their preference for higher interest rates, given persistently high inflation.

Investors in derivatives markets are divided. Currently, the group expecting a rate hike is slightly in the majority, as shown by the Fed Watch Tool from the Chicago exchange. Nearly 60 percent of investors reckon the Fed will raise the benchmark rate to a range of 3.75 to 4.0 percent.