[BRIEFING.COM] The S&P 500 (+0.4%), Nasdaq Composite (+0.8%), and DJIA (flat) are off to their best start of the week, though the market's real directional driver lies ahead in the 2:00 p.m. ET FOMC decision.
So far, stocks are supported by a notable pullback in oil prices, with WTI crude down $4.00 (-3.8%) to $101.82 per barrel. The energy sector (-2.6%) is a laggard as a result, though the financials sector (-0.6%) is the only other S&P 500 sector that trades lower.
Meanwhile, the information technology sector (+0.9%) leads the market higher, supported by a solid gain in the PHLX Semiconductor Index (+1.7%) after yesterday's rebound attempt largely fizzled.
Outside the S&P 500, the Russell 2000 (+0.5%) and S&P Mid Cap 400 (+0.4%) also trade modestly higher.