Housing Data, FOMC Meeting, Stitch Fix Earnings: 3 Things to Watch

By Liz Moyer

Investing.com -- Stocks wavered in choppy trading on Monday as investors prepared to hear from the Federal Reserve about its next interest rate move.

The central bank's policy meeting begins Tuesday, and the decision will come out Wednesday, followed by a press conference featuring Chair Jerome Powell. Most Fed watchers expect a three-quarter point increase in the benchmark rate as the Fed pushes to get inflation back down to its 2% target. But there are some people predicting a larger full-point increase. 

The Fed has made it clear it prioritizes getting inflation under control over causing pain to the economy, despite the recession fears that stance has created. 

The rush away from risk assets in anticipation of another rate increase has spread across stocks and into cryptocurrencies, with the price of Bitcoin falling below $19,000 earlier Monday before retracing some of its decline.

September is usually unkind to stock investors, but people will be watching for the next round of corporate earnings to flood in starting in October. 

Here are three things that could affect markets tomorrow:

1. Housing data

More data from the real estate sector is due out at 8:30 ET (12:30 GMT), including August housing starts, which analysts expect to be 1.445 million on an annualized basis. August building permits data are also due, and analysts expect 1.610 million annualized. Both would be down from the prior month's readings.

2. Fed meeting

The two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee begins Tuesday, with most people expecting to see a 0.75 percentage point increase when they announce their decision on Wednesday. But we will also hear about Fed expectations for inflation, employment and other economic measures.

3. Stitch Fix earnings

Stitch Fix (NASDAQ:SFIX) is expected to report earnings, with analysts expecting a per-share loss of 63 cents on revenue of $488.7 million.