U.S. stock futures pointed to a higher open Tuesday, as investors await an interest-rate decision and comments from the U.S. Federal Reserve. More than two hours before the start of trading, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 22 points higher at 10660. The S&P 500 futures advanced 2.9 points to 1148.6 and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 4.25 points to 1921.25. Changes in futures do not always accurately predict early market moves after the opening bell. Asian shares ended mixed Tuesday ahead of tonight's crucial policy meeting at the U.S. Federal Reserve and the outcome of the Bank of Japan's meeting on Wednesday. U.S. investors will be heavily focused on the Fed decision due at 2:15 p.m. Investors widely expect the Fed to hold its key interest rate near zero. However, as the economy improves the Fed will need to start increasing rates to fight expected inflation. That means investors will pore over the Fed's statement after its meeting to see if there are any clues about when rates might change.[Read more...]