The Nasdaq and S&P 500 slid on Tuesday driven by tech stocks, as investors gear up for what Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell will say about the path of interest rates at a key conference later in the week.

The stock market is heading into a catalyst-filled week as Fed Chair Jerome Powell gets ready to speak at Jackson Hole and big retailers report earnings.

Stocks start the week just shy of record highs, underpinned by a well-received corporate earnings season and hopes the Federal Reserve will soon start reducing official borrowing costs again. Investors are therefore keen that Friday’s keynote address by Fed Chair Jerome Powell at the Jackson Hole symposium will be suitably dovish.

The U.S. dollar was little changed on Wednesday as traders awaited a speech from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the annual Jackson Hole symposium later this week for clues on the monetary policy path.

Jay Powell’s speech at the Federal Reserve’s August summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is always a high-stakes moment. This year, the central bank’s chair takes the podium under fire — facing fierce attacks from Donald Trump and a growing insurgency within his own institution.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's upcoming speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium on Friday is being billed as a pivotal, "make-or-break" moment for the central bank's more dovish contingent.

Gold prices edged lower on Tuesday as the U.S. dollar firmed, while investors hunkered down for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole later this week.