U.S. stock futures on Wednesday pointed to a roughly flat open, putting the market on track for another day of muted action around record territory.
"Volumes have been very low as investors seem to be waiting for major market catalysts," said Angus Nicholson, a market analyst for IG, in a note on Wednesday.
S&P 500 futures inched higher by 2.65 points, or 0.1%, to 2,180.25, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures edged up by 18 points, or 0.1%, to 18,484. Nasdaq-100 futures tacked on 6 points, or 0.1%, to 4,787.75.
On Tuesday, the S&P 500 closed less than 0.1% higher, leaving the index roughly unchanged for the week and less than 0.1% below its record close, hit Friday. The Dow finished up less than 0.1%, and the blue-chip gauge is down 0.3% from its July 20 record close. The Nasdaq Composite tacked on 0.2% on Tuesday to score a fresh record close.
Other markets:Oil futures traded lower, as investors were discouraged by the upward revision in the outlook for U.S. crude production. European stocks were little changed, while Asian markets closed mixed, with the strength of the yen keeping the Nikkei in check. Gold futures traded higher, as a key dollar index lost ground.