Wall Street opened higher at the start of a data-heavy week, with traders adopting an optimistic tone ahead of crucial earnings reports and economic events. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% by midday trading in New York, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 climbed 0.8%. The blue-chip index inched 0.1% up, and small caps slipped 0.8%. Four out of the six largest U.S. corporations – including Microsoft Corp., Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) and Amazon Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) – are set to report their latest quarterly earnings between Tuesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve will hold its two-day Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, concluding Wednesday with the rate statement and Fed Chair Jerome Powell‘s press conference. The Fed is widely expected to keep interest rates steady, but traders will closely watch for any signals of a potential rate cut in September. Market-implied odds currently fully factor in a September rate cut, as shown by CME Group’s FedWatch tool. Additionally, crucial labor market statistics will be released this week, including the June Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTs) on Tuesday, ...