At 14:11 (Lisbon time), the Dow Jones index rose 0.43% to 47,748.17 points, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq increased by 0.38% to 23,727.28 points.
The broader S&P 500 index, in turn, settled at 6,878.04 points, an increase of 0.04%.
On Monday, the New York Stock Exchange closed higher, with the Dow Jones gaining 0.71%.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Fed is meeting today and Wednesday to decide whether to further reduce the benchmark interest rates, with analysts predicting a 25 basis point cut.
If the reduction is confirmed, it will be the second time this year that benchmark interest rates, currently between 4% and 4.25%, have been adjusted.
The budget impasse (‘shutdown’) in the United States, which seems far from resolution, has stalled the release of many statistical data, particularly indicators related to unemployment and the personal consumption expenditure (PCE) index, which the Fed closely monitors to guide its monetary policy.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is composed of 12 members: the seven members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four of the remaining 11 Federal Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis.
