US stocks inch up as investors cheer iPhone demand outlook and await start of Fed meeting

• US stocks inched higher Monday as investors eye the Wednesday Fed meeting.
• Strong iPhone 15 pre-orders pushed Apple stock more than 2% higher intraday.

US stocks inched higher Monday, with strong iPhone 15 demand lifting Apple stock while investors looked ahead the Federal Reserve's policy meeting on Wednesday.

Shares of Apple climbed as much as 2.5% on the day, with Wall Street firms pointing to a wave of pre-orders as a sign that $4.

"We view the extended lead times for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max as a positive indication of consumer demand," Goldman Sachs strategists said in a Monday note.

Meanwhile, traders are giving 99% odds of no interest rate move from the central bank at this week's two-day meeting, which begins Tuesday, CME's FedWatch Tool shows. However, for the November meeting, markets are giving about one-third odds of a 25-basis-point hike.

"We are in the camp that Jay Powell comes out with a hawkish pause on Wednesday, as there will not be a rate hike, but will continue to buy optionality by releasing a higher dot plot and alluding to the fact that every meeting is live until the Fed hits their 2% inflation target (currently 3.7%)," Victor Masotti, director of repo trading at Clear Street, said in a statement.

He added that interest rate futures markets are pricing in the first quarter-point rate cut for the July 31, 2024 meeting.

Here's where US indexes stood as the market closed 4:00 p.m. on Monday:

• S&P 500>$4: 4,453.53, up 0.07%

• Dow Jones Industrial Average>$4: 34,624.30, up 0.02% (6.06 points)

• Nasdaq Composite>$4: 13,710.24, up 0.01%

Here's what else is going on:

• "Dr. Doom" Nouriel Roubini said he would $4 for the rest of the year.
• A crypto influencer was arrested in Hong Kong for a $4 involving 1,400 people.
• Global crude is trading close to its $4.
• Foreign investors are shunning Chinese stocks and bonds while $4.
• $4, a market veteran warned.
• Homebuilder sentiment $4 for the first time since April.
• Investors have $4 this summer.

In commodities, bonds, and crypto:

• Oil prices climbed, with$4 up 0.9% to $91.59 a barrel. $4, the international benchmark, rose 0.48% to $94.38 a barrel
• $4 edged 0.35% higher to $1,953.00 per ounce.
• The$4 dipped less than 1 basis point to 4.313%.
• $4 climbed 0.89% to $26,748.