U.S. Stock Futures Hold Steady as Investors Eye Fed Minutes and Trump Tariffs
U.S. stock futures traded sideways on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 hovering near record highs. Investors remained cautious ahead of the release of Federal Reserve meeting minutes and digested President Trump's latest tariff threats.
S&P 500 and Dow Futures Unchanged
Futures on the S&P 500 (ES=F) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) showed minimal movement. Contracts on the Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F), which is tech-heavy, gained 0.1%.
Trump's Tariff Threat
Markets are in a wait-and-see mode as they assess the potential impact of President Trump's new tariffs. On Tuesday, he announced plans to impose additional duties on automobiles, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals. The move has raised concerns about inflation and the possibility of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
Fed Meeting Minutes in Focus
Investors will be closely scrutinizing the Fed's January meeting minutes, which will be released on Wednesday. The focus will be on policymakers' views on inflation and the impact of Trump's tariffs.
Recent Developments
* Etsy (ETSY) and Carvana (CVNA) are set to report earnings on Wednesday.
* President Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on automobiles from early April.
* Asian markets have declined due to tariff concerns and worries about the Chinese stock market rally.
* HSBC (HSBC) has beaten profit expectations and announced a share buyback.
* Oil prices have risen amid ongoing peace talks between the U.S. and Russia.