US stock futures advanced on Monday as investors geared up for a pivotal week featuring an expected Federal Reserve interest rate cut, major tech earnings, and a high-stakes meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Those moves came after the major averages reached new record highs last week, with the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite gaining between 1.92% to 2.31%. Markets have nearly fully priced in a quarter-point rate reduction after Friday’s cooler-than-expected inflation data. Traders also awaited earnings from leading tech firms including Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft. On the trade front, the Trump-Xi meeting in South Korea on Thursday is seen as a potential turning point following productive weekend talks, with US and Chinese negotiators reportedly resolving several contentious issues, fueling optimism that the two largest economies could avert a deeper trade conflict.
