NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Dell's warning that it would miss fiscal third-quarter earnings and revenue targets will give stocks trouble early Tuesday ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting.

U.S. stock futures were down, indicating a lower opening for stocks, following the after-hours warning from Dell (Research) Monday. Shares of Dell lost 4 percent in after-hours trading Monday.

The Federal Open Market Committee meets Tuesday, and another quarter-percentage point rate hike in short-term rates is virtually certain. The central bank's policy statement will get particular attention, with investors seeing if the Fed is sticking with language that foresees further "measured" interest rate hikes.

"I think the markets will get a lift if the 'measured' language comes out, but I don't think the market takes a hit if measured stays in," said Anthony Chan, senior economist for JPMorgan Asset Management. "It's tough to say that the markets are nervous about the Fed at this point. The investors seem to be more nervous about Dell."

Oil prices were little changed following Monday's slide that took U.S. crude below the $60 benchmark. The December light crude futures contract for NYMEX rose 5 cents to $59.81 a barrel in electronic trading, while the December contract for Brent crude eased 1 cent to $57.87.

Major markets in Asia closed higher Tuesday, even after a computer problem delayed the start of trading in Tokyo by more than four hours. Major European markets were mixed and little changed in early trading.

Treasury prices were higher, cutting the yield on the 10-year note to 4.54 percent from 4.55 percent late Monday. The dollar gained against on the yen but lost ground on the euro.

Economic reports due Tuesday ahead of the Fed meeting include the latest readings on manufacturing and construction spending.

Economists surveyed by Briefing.com expect the Institute of Supply Management's manufacturing index to slip to 57.4 for October from the hurricane-fueled reading of 60.5 in September, although any reading above 50 indicates growth in the sector.

The government's report on construction spending is forecast to be up 0.5 percent in September after a 0.4 percent gain in August.

In corporate news, automakers will be reporting October sales. J.D. Power & Associates expects industrywide sales to be the weakest of the year, with General Motors (Research) and Ford (Research) both signaling they'll report large drops in sales.

Consumer products maker Procter & Gamble (Research) and media conglomerate Viacom (Research) both reported earning in the most recent quarter that appear to be a bit better than forecasts, and both gave earnings guidance roughly in line with current forecasts.

For a more detailed look at the markets before the open, click here.