US Stock Futures Steady as Middle East Tensions and Fed Minutes Keep Investors Cautious

U.S. stock index futures were little changed Tuesday night as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of the release of the Federal Reserve's latest meeting minutes while monitoring escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

As of 20:54 ET (00:54 GMT), S&P 500 Futures edged up 0.1% to 7,558.0, Nasdaq 100 Futures gained 0.4% to 29,511.75, and Dow Jones Futures were flat at 53,174.0.

Investor sentiment remained cautious after the United States carried out new military strikes on Iran following attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global oil supplies. The renewed conflict drove crude oil prices sharply higher, reviving concerns that rising energy costs could fuel inflation and complicate the Federal Reserve's interest rate outlook.

Market attention is now centered on the minutes from the Fed's June policy meeting, scheduled for release on Wednesday. Investors will closely examine the report for clues on how policymakers are weighing resilient economic growth against lingering inflation pressures, as well as whether recent geopolitical developments have influenced expectations for future monetary policy.

Wall Street ended Tuesday's regular trading session lower, led by losses in technology stocks. The weakness followed Samsung Electronics' latest earnings report, which, despite surpassing analyst expectations, failed to reassure investors about the sustainability of artificial intelligence-related demand and pricing trends in the memory chip market. The resulting selloff in semiconductor stocks weighed on the broader technology sector.

The S&P 500 closed down 0.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.2%, reflecting the heavier pressure on growth and AI-related shares. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also slipped 0.3%.

Investors are also preparing for the start of the second-quarter earnings season later this week, with upcoming corporate results expected to provide fresh insight into the health of the U.S. economy and whether strong earnings can offset concerns surrounding inflation, geopolitical risks, and the Federal Reserve's next policy moves.