(Updates with economic data, recent oil price movements, world markets' overview, and corporate stock movements.)
US equity futures were slightly lower pre-bell Wednesday as traders awaited developments in the talks to end the Middle East conflict.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.3% lower, S&P 500 futures were down 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures were 0.2% lower.
President Donald Trump said that US and Iranian officials met for around three hours Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City, describing it as a "very good meeting," multiple media outlets reported.
In an address to the UN earlier on Tuesday, Trump had said he had a choice on whether to make a deal with Iran or "annihilate" the Middle Eastern nation. He added that he expected to reach a decision after the November midterm elections in the US.
Oil prices were slightly higher, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude up 1.2% at $100.42 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 0.5% higher at $90.96 per barrel.
The September S&P Global Composite Purchasing Managers' Index, due at 9:45 am ET, is seen at 55.3, down from 56.0 previously, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
The Atlanta Fed Business Inflation Expectations survey for September is expected at 10 am ET.
Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr is slated to speak later today.
In other world markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 1% lower, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.4% lower. Japan's Nikkei was closed for a public holiday. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 was down 0.2%, and Germany's DAX index was 0.7% lower in Europe's early afternoon session.
In equities, BHP Group (BHP) shares fell 2.5% after the company said that 42.11 billion Brazilian reais ($8.25 billion) have gone toward reparations under the Rio Doce agreement since November 2024. Roivant Sciences (ROIV) stock was down 2.9%, while its subsidiary Immunovant's (IMVT) shares dropped 6.1%, after Roivant said that Immunovant plans to stop development of IMVT-1402 in cutaneous lupus erythematosus after a proof-of-concept study failed to achieve statistical significance on the primary endpoint.
On the winning side, Royal Caribbean (RCL) stock was up 0.9% after the company said that it will acquire a 50% stake in Sandals and Beaches Resorts for roughly $3 billion as part of a partnership to bolster its vacation platform beyond cruise experiences. IonQ (IONQ) shares rose 11% after the company announced a milestone in fault-tolerant quantum computing. Instacart (CART) stock was up 5% after the company said it is incorporating Meta Platform's (META) Muse AI tool into grocery-shopping infrastructure.