U.S. stock index futures were little changed morning trading Wednesday as traders digested stronger-than-expected retail data and geopolitical updates.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials fell 76 points, or 0.2%, to 34,828.
Futures for the S&P 500 skidded 7.25 points, or 0.2%, to 4,457.25
Futures for the NASDAQ dropped 38.25 points, or 0.3%, to 14,571.35.
ViacomCBS was the biggest loser in early action Wednesday, with shares falling more than 10% premarket after the company said it is rebranding itself as Paramount Global to focus on streaming. At the same time, the company reported lower-than-expected quarterly earnings.
Shares of Wynn Resorts dipped 1.6% after the casino operator beat on revenue, but posted a larger-than-expected loss per share.
Retail sales surged 3.8% in January, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday. Economists expected the report to show sales rose 2.1% in January after a 1.9% decline in December.
Markets have been driven largely by concerns over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the Federal Reserve’s plan to hike interest rates.
In the most recent geopolitical developments, NATO officials accused Russia of massing troops at the Ukrainian border.
Indices in North America resumed their climb Tuesday after the Russian government said that some troops who had been on the Ukrainian border had returned to their bases.
Overseas, in Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 2.2%, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng rocketed 1.5%
Oil prices improved $1.14 to $93.21 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices declined $1.40 to $1,854.80 U.S. an ounce.