Investors focused on the Fed's decision to leave interest rates unchanged and Chair Jerome Powell's news conference on Wednesday. Earnings from Meta and Microsoft were due after the closing bell.

Tracking small-cap stocks, the Russell 2000 reversed course and skidded 0.4% lower. Volume was lower on the Nasdaq exchange while higher on the New York Stock Exchange compared with Monday. On the Nasdaq exchange, falling stocks edged out rising ones by nearly 2-to-1. In a turnaround on the NYSE, winners dug deep and edged out losers.

U.S. equities are poised for gains at the open on Tuesday, with futures on the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all trending upward in pre-market activity. The advance follows a mixed but resilient close on Monday,