Investors look to Fed, earnings for direction

By Chuck Mikolajczak NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors hoping equities can sustain their recent bounce next week will carefully watch the U.S. Federal Reserve's mid-week policy meeting for signs the central bank may slow the path of interest rate hikes. The S&P 500 has already fallen as much as 9 percent this year, with stocks battered by concerns over China's slowing economy, plunging oil prices and Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer's comments that he expected about four rate hikes this year.