Stocks kicked off a critical week with a lot of volatility. Wall Street is anxiously awaiting the start of the U.S. Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting tomorrow, which could bring a 75-basis-point hike. The Dow and S&P 500 traded on both sides of the aisle but scored a last-minute surge into positive territory, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq finished modestly lower.

This will also be a big week of corporate earnings, with a slew of Big Tech reports set to roll in, in addition to a gross domestic product (GDP) reading that may be indicative of a recession. Elsewhere, the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) snapped a four-day losing streak today but remains below the psychologically significant 25 level.

The Dow Jones Average (DJI - 31,990.04) gained 90.8 points or 0.3% for the day. Chevron (CVX) led the gainers, adding 3%. Salesforce (CRM) paced the laggards, falling 2.8%.

The S&P 500 Index (SPX - 3,966.84) added 5.2 points, or 0.1% for the day. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC -11,782.67) shed 51.5 points or 0.4% for the session.

Lastly, the Cboe Market Volatility Index (VIX - 23.36) added 0.3 points or 1.4% for the day. 

GOLD PRICES COOL AHEAD OF FED DECISION

Oil prices finished higher on Monday, but are expected to be volatile this week ahead of the central bank's decision and the U.S. jobs report. September-dated crude rose $1.83, or 1.0%, to settle at $96.53 per barrel. 

Gold prices, meanwhile, finished lower, as traders eye the outcome of the Fed's two-day meeting, and what impact it may have on the U.S. dollar. August-dated gold fell $8.30, or 0.5%, to close at $1,719.10 an ounce.

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