Stocks: Calm before the Fed storm?

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The Fed's final monetary policy meeting of 2013 wraps up Wednesday, and investors are eager to find out when it might begin to cut back its massive stimulus program. Some expect the so-called taper to start after this meeting, which could hit stocks.

U.S. stock futures were flat ahead of Tuesday's opening bell.

Markets are also waiting for the U.S. Department of Labor to release its monthly Consumer Price Index at 8:30 a.m. ET.

In corporate news, financial data firm FactSet (FDS) is among a handful of firms set to release earnings Tuesday.

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On Monday, the Dow jumped about 130 points, or almost 1%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also rose sharply.

It seems investors were feeling bullish ahead of the Fed announcement, though one market strategist noted there may have been a technical trigger for the move.

"There was some speculation that the drop in the 50-day moving average may have triggered some computerized buying," said Mike O'Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading.

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Shares of Boeing (BA, Fortune 500) jumped in after-hours trading after the aerospace giant announced a 50% dividend increase and $10 billion stock buyback program.

European markets were declining in morning trading. France's CAC 40 index was dipping by just over 1%.

Asian markets ended the day with mixed results. The Nikkei in Japan popped up by 0.8% while markets in China edged lower.