07:56 AM EDT, 03/15/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity futures were little changed Friday as traders turned cautious ahead of next week's Federal Reserve meeting.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures, S&P 500 futures, and Nasdaq futures all increased around 0.2%.

Oil prices were lower, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude down 0.5% and US West Texas Intermediate crude down 0.6%, but were still on track for a weekly gain on the back of a decline in US crude stockpiles and expectations of a supply deficit for 2024 by the International Energy Agency.

The policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee is scheduled to convene for a two-day meeting next week, starting on Tuesday.

The Empire State Manufacturing index, scheduled for release at 8:30 am ET, is expected to drop in March to minus 7.0 after February's minus 2.4. Import and export prices are seen rising 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively, for February.

US industrial production, due at 9:15 am ET, is expected to come in unchanged in February.

Consumer sentiment, slated for 10 am ET, is expected to rise to 77.1 in March versus 76.9 in previously.