US stock futures gained in early trading on September 17, 2026, following the Federal Reserve's recent interest-rate increase. Contracts on the S&P 500 Index were up 0.8% and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 1.1% as of 6:57 a.m. in New York. This rebound comes after underlying gauges sold off on Wednesday due to hawkish commentary from Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh and a dot plot indicating that 16 of 18 Fed officials had penciled in another rate hike this year.
The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, bringing the target range to 3.75%-4.00%. This move is an attempt to control persistently high inflation. The Fed also signaled the possibility of a second rate hike to 4.1% by its rate-setting committee. Analysts noted that while the rate increase matched market expectations, the prospect of further hikes has kept market sentiment cautious.
The market's positive pre-market momentum is also supported by declining oil prices and easing concerns over supply disruptions. Brent crude, the international standard, traded 2.2% lower at $103.48 a barrel, while benchmark US crude declined 1.7% to $100.65 a barrel. The two-year US Treasury yield slipped to 4.72%, and the 10-year Treasury yield remained near 5.00%. The US dollar also fell against the Japanese yen and euro. These factors are raising hopes that inflation can be kept under control, easing some of the strain that had built around price pressures.
