US pre-open: Futures higher as FOMC meeting begins, earnings ramp up
By Iain Gilbert
Date: Tuesday 27 Jan 2026
(Sharecast News) - Wall Street futures were pointing to a positive open ahead of the bell on Tuesday as the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting was all set to get underway.
As of 1200 GMT, Dow Jones futures were up 0.63%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures were 0.50% and 0.53% firmer, respectively.
The Dow closed 313.69 points higher on Monday, more than reversing losses recorded in the previous session.
Donald Trump's tariff war was in focus again prior to the open after he said late on Monday that tariffs on South Korean automobiles, pharmaceuticals and lumber would rise from 15% to 25%, citing delays in the country's legislature ratifying a trade agreement reached with the US last summer.
In the corporate space, multiple major US health insurers came under heavy pressure after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed a net average payment increase of just 0.09% for Medicare Advantage plans in 2027. Humana slumped 12%, while CVS Health dropped nearly 10%.
In terms of earnings, UnitedHealth posted a modest earnings beat on Tuesday, despite taking a $1.6bn restructuring hit, but issued some soft revenue guidance for the current year, while UPS topped quarterly expectations and issued upbeat revenue guidance for FY26 on the back of a shift to higher-value shipments, and General Motors reported Q4 adjusted earnings growth despite a 5% drop in revenues.
Elsewhere, Kimberly-Clark said Q4 adjusted earnings had come in ahead of expectations, and Northrop Grumman reported increased quarterly profits on the back of heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
Still to come, Union Pacific, American Airlines and Boeing were all slated to report earnings prior to the open.
On the macro front, ADP employment change figures will be out at 1315 GMT, while S&P/Case-Shiller's November housing price index will be released at 1400 GMT, and January consumer confidence figures and the Richmond Fed's manufacturing index will follow at 1500 GMT.
Also of note, the Federal Reserve Open Markets Committee's two-day policy meeting will get underway on Tuesday.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
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