UKX FTSE 100 Index

U.S. stock futures ticked lower as investors awaited the latest policy decision from the Federal Reserve.

Futures on the S&P 500 were down 0.1% and futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded flat. The contracts don't necessarily predict market moves after the markets open.

In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 shed 0.1% in morning trade as gains in consumer staples and financials sectors were mostly offset by losses in consumer discretionary and information technology sectors.

SSP Group declined 2.8% for a two-day losing streak.

The U.K.'s FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Other stock indexes in Europe were mixed as Germany's DAX meandered after the flat line, whereas France's CAC 40 was largely flat and the U.K.'s FTSE 250 was lower 0.5%.

The Swiss franc and the euro slipped 0.3% and 0.1% respectively against the U.S. dollar whereas the British pound strengthened 0.2% against the dollar, with 1 pound buying $1.39.

In commodities, Brent crude was up 0.4% to $68.65 a barrel. Gold also strengthened 0.1% to $1,733.10 a troy ounce.

German 10-year bund yields were up to minus 0.331% and 10-year gilts yields rose to 0.809%. 10-year U.S. Treasury yields gained to 1.632% from 1.622% on Tuesday. Yields move inversely to prices.

Stocks in Asia mostly fell as Hong Kong's Hang Seng was broadly flat after declining 0.8% earlier, Japan's Nikkei 225 index was largely flat, and China's benchmark Shanghai Composite was broadly flat after losing 0.6% during the session.

An

artificial-intelligence tool

was used in creating this article.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 17, 2021 04:59 ET (08:59 GMT)

FTSE 100
Index Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024

FTSE 100
Index Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024