Opening Call:
Europe is primed for a positive open on Monday, on expectations the Fed will maintain its dovish message later this week. In Asia, most major stock benchmarks were higher, along with the dollar and oil, but gold prices lost further ground and Treasury yields were flat.
Equities:
European shares should extend gains on Monday, with the Stoxx Europe 600 likely to push further into record territory, as investors look ahead to an expected dovish Fed meeting this week.
"There's probably some chance of a bit more of a 'let's-see-what-they-have-to-say type of approach," said Jim Baird, chief investment officer of Plante Moran Financial Advisors. The big question is whether policy makers will come forward with details about their thinking around an eventual tapering of the Fed's bond-buying program, offering investors "more of a peek behind the curtain," he said.