Dow rises slightly, S&P 500 adds to a record ahead of key Fed meeting

U.S. stock futures were flat on Tuesday ahead of the Federal Reserve’s latest monetary policy meeting. The pause comes a day after the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 registered new record highs

S&P 500 futures were flat. Nasdaq 100 futures added less than 0.1%. Dow Jones Industrial average futures were lower by about 16 points.

There were very few standout premarket performers. Some reopening plays, such as Boeing and cruise lines, traded slightly higher early Tuesday.

On the data front, the final demand index for producer prices advanced 6.6% for the 12 months ended in May, the largest increase since 12-month data were first calculated in November 2010.

On a monthly basis, the producer price index for final demand rose 0.8%, ahead of the Dow Jones estimate of 0.6%. Producer prices measure the prices paid to producers as opposed to prices on the consumer level.

Meanwhile, May’s retail sales data fell 1.3%, compared to an expectation of a 0.7% decline per economists polled by Dow Jones.

On Monday, S&P 500 gained 0.2% to close at a new record of 4,255.15. The Dow, however, fell 85 points.

The Nasdaq Composite was the relative outperformer, gaining 0.8% to close at an all-time high of 14,174.14. Investors are pouring back into growth stocks as bond yields keep falling. The 10-year Treasury rate hit a three-month low last Friday and hovered around 1.5% on Monday. Yields were lower again on Tuesday.

Bitcoin rose to $40,000 on Monday after Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Sunday that the company will resume bitcoin transactions once it confirms there is reasonable clean energy usage by miners.

The Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting starts on Tuesday, and it’s a focal point for the markets this week. The central bank is not expected to take any action. However, commentary on interest rates, inflation and the economy could drive market moves.

Traders will listen closely for comments on inflation and the Fed’s eventual tapering plans.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones told CNBC on Monday that this Fed meeting could be the most important in Chairman Jerome Powell’s career. Tudor Jones also warned that Powell could spark a big sell-off in risk assets if he doesn’t do a good job of signaling a taper in the Fed’s monthly asset buying.