Investors focus on the Fed's policy decision and Chair Jerome Powell's news conference. Earnings from Meta and Microsoft are due after the closing bell.

Tracking small-cap stocks, the Russell 2000 reversed course and skidded 0.4% lower. Volume was lower on the Nasdaq exchange while higher on the New York Stock Exchange compared with Monday. On the Nasdaq exchange, falling stocks edged out rising ones by nearly 2-to-1. In a turnaround on the NYSE, winners dug deep and edged out losers.

U.S. equities are poised for gains at the open on Tuesday, with futures on the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all trending upward in pre-market activity. The advance follows a mixed but resilient close on Monday,