Nasdaq, S&P 500 climb ahead of keenly awaited Fed decision

The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 both edged higher on Tuesday, as lower oil prices provided some relief during a tense wait for the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision. Energy stocks declined, while technology shares were mixed. Nvidia and Apple saw slight gains. The Fed's decision, set for 2pm ET, will significantly impact investor sentiment amid concerns over elevated Treasury yields, inflation, and the Middle East conflict.

While traders anticipate a 93% chance of an increase, uncertainty remains. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, chosen by President Trump, was expected to reduce rates, but analysts doubt the central bank's credibility if it maintains rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.19% to 51,993.85, the S&P 500 rose 0.19% to 7,599.84, and the Nasdaq Composite increased 0.43% to 26,093.28.

The market's resilience is notable, as it has not experienced a significant drop. Oil prices fell following reports of Saudi Arabia's additional crude shipments, easing Middle East supply disruption concerns. Brent crude futures dropped 1.1% to US$107.55, and US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 1.9% to US$103.82. The S&P 500's rate-sensitive utilities and real estate indexes led gains.

Meta and Microsoft saw minor gains, while Intel surged 5.6%, after reports of SK Hynix's potential US memory chip manufacturing partnership. Advancing shares outnumbered declining ones on both the NYSE and Nasdaq, with the S&P 500 reaching four new 52-week highs and the Nasdaq Composite reaching 20 new highs and 69 new lows.