5 things to know before the stock market opens Monday

• The Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut interest rates on Wednesday, following a strong week for stocks.
• Former President Donald Trump was safe after what the FBI called an apparent assassination attempt.
• Pfizer released positive trial data for a drug that treats a common condition affecting cancer patients.

Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:

The long-awaited Federal Reserve interest rate cut may finally arrive this week. The central bank's policymakers are set to announce Wednesday whether they will ease policy after inflation and job growth started to slow in recent months. Heading into the week, traders are pricing in a 59% chance that the central bank will cut its target rate by 0.5 percentage points, according to the CME FedWatch tool. The key decision comes after a strong week for U.S. stocks. The S&P 500 gained about 4% last week, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed nearly 6%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.6%. Follow live market updates.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was safe Sunday after what the Federal Bureau of Investigation said "appears to be an attempted assassination." The former president was playing at his Florida golf club when U.S. Secret Service officers "opened fire on a gunman located near the property line" of the course, Special Agent Rafael Barros said at a press conference. It was unclear where the gunman was aiming or if the person fired any shots. The person who the Secret Service shot is in custody and was identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, three senior law enforcement officials told NBC News. The incident is the second apparent assassination attempt on Trump in recent months during the 2024 presidential