Wall Street ticks lower ahead of Fed meeting, new inflation data WFTV [Video]

Wall Street ticked lower early Monday ahead of the latest Federal Reserve policy decision and a slew of new inflation data.

Futures for the S&P 500 fell less than 0.1%, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 0.1% before the bell.

The Fed’s latest interest rate policy decision comes after the U.S. central bank wraps up its two-day meeting on Wednesday. Most expect the Fed to leave its benchmark rate alone again, with inflation remaining sticky despite the high interest rates meant to tame it.

A strong labor market has helped to sustain consumer spending and the broader economy, but it has also been complicating the Federal Reserve’s decision on potentially lowering interest rates.

“We are back to the starting point where the Fed could hardly justify a rate cut when jobs data remains strong and inflation is not easing as fast as it should,” Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank, said.

Economic data last week hinted at an …