The Traderszone Network

U.S. stock index futures indicated a flat to lower open on Wednesday ahead of the hotly anticipated statement from the Federal Reserve.

The dollar traded near its strongest level in more than a decade as investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decision. West Texas Intermediate crude fell for a seventh day at 9:40 a.m. in London, before a report projected to show record inventories. New Zealand’s currency and the Australian dollar slipped. The U.S. Dollar Index was little changed after reaching its highest level since 2003 last week, and futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained less than 0.1 percent.

The dollar stood steady in Asia on Wednesday just hours before the Federal Reserve was expected to take a major step toward lifting interest rates for the first time in almost nine years.

Gold dropped to near its lowest in more than four months on Wednesday, reflecting caution ahead of the conclusion of a Federal Reserve meeting that may stoke expectations for a mid-year hike in U.S. interest rates. Many expect the Fed officials, who started a two-day policy meeting on Tuesday, to drop the word “patient” from their forward guidance on interest rates, potentially paving the way for a rate hike around June, the first since 2006.

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Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will raise the country’s deepening cash crunch in talks with EU leaders at this week’s summit in Brussels, the government’s spokesman said on Wednesday, as Athens faces running out of cash in weeks. Greece agreed a four-month extension to its bailout programme last month but has not received any fresh aid, which remains frozen amid Athens’ steadily worsening relations with its international creditors. “We will aim to clarify the Feb.

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FedEx delivered quarterly earnings that topped analysts’ expectations on Wednesday.

A new study says fewer Americans are at risk for falling short in retirement—if they do this.