BOJ keeps interest rates flat, but flags rate hikes on rising inflation, GDP
(For a live blog on the U.S. stock market, click LIVE/ or
type LIVE/ in a news window.)
* Futures: Dow off 0.12%, S&P 500 flat, Nasdaq up 0.09%
By Arjun Panchadar
Dec 11 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a
flat opening on Wednesday, with eyes fixed on the latest outcome
of the Federal Reserve's deliberations on interest rates and the
looming deadline on tariffs in President Donald Trump's trade
war with China.
Stocks have stalled so far in December after three straight
months of gains, hurt by worries over a delay in the signing of
an interim trade deal between Washington and Beijing as well as
global growth concerns.
President Donald Trump has just days to decide whether to
impose levies on nearly $160 billion in Chinese goods.
The White House's top economic and trade advisers are
expected to meet in coming days with Trump over the decision, a
source told Reuters, though a final decision has not been made.
The Fed is widely expected to keep interest rates steady in
its last policy statement of the year, due at 2:00 p.m. ET (1900
GMT). Investors are also awaiting Fed Chair Jerome Powell's
outlook on the economy when he holds a news conference later in
the day.
Also slated for this week is the European Central Bank
meeting on Thursday, along with general elections in Britain.
Data on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. ET is expected to show the
Labor Department's consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.2% in
November, compared with a 0.4% gain a month earlier, according
to economists polled by Reuters.
Other upcoming domestic indicators of interest this week
include monthly inflation data and retail sales.
At 7:31 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis 1YMcv1 were down 34 points,
or 0.12%. S&P 500 e-minis EScv1 were up 0.25 points, or 0.01%
and Nasdaq 100 e-minis NQcv1 were up 7.5 points, or 0.09%.
Among stocks, Home Depot Inc HD.N fell 1% in premarket
trading after the home improvement chain forecast fiscal 2020
sales growth below Wall Street expectations, weeks after the
company cut its 2019 sales forecast. Tesla Inc TSLA.O gained 1.2% as the electric carmaker plans
to increase prices of imported Model 3 vehicles in China in
January, according to sources familiar with the matter.