The Dow Jones index rose Wednesday ahead of the Fed's rate decision and Powell's comment. Nvidia stock sold off.

U.S. stocks were mostly lower in midday trading on Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was hovering at its session high, while the tech-heavy S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were edging lower ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest-rate decision at 2 p.

The Federal Reserve's anticipated 25-basis-point rate cut has betting markets signaling confidence leading stock futures to rise. President Trump also wants to pack the central bank with allies favorable to rate cuts despite the optics of crushing the Fed's political independence.

Nvidia shares slipped over 1% in pre-market trading after the Financial Times reported that China’s internet regulator has banned the country’s biggest technology companies from buying its artificial intelligence chips.

U.S. stock futures and 10-year Treasury yields were slightly lower early Wednesday, hours before the Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut its benchmark interest rate for the first time this year.

Dow Jones dips as Microsoft, Nvidia, and Salesforce drag US stocks lower. Traders await Fed rate cut and Powell’s policy outlook for fresh direction.

Stocks were muted on Wednesday as Wall Street braced for the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision and policy outlook later in the day.

Today in the US stock market, the major indices showed gains as investors prepared for a key Federal Reserve meeting later this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up by about 0.2%, the S&P 500 increased around 0.

The central bank delivered a policy long-sought by President Donald Trump, though the size of the rate cut all but certainly fell short of Trump's desired outcome. Five meetings and nine months have elapsed since the Fed last cut interest rates.