United States stock futures were little changed on Tuesday evening (Wednesday AEST) after Wall Street ended lower, as oil prices continued to climb amid renewed tensions in the Middle East.
By 10:10 am AEST (12:10 am GMT), Dow futures, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures were all trading within a range of ±0.1%.
Brent crude futures briefly climbed above US$99 per barrel after settling higher on Tuesday, following reports that Iran launched a second, previously undisclosed salvo of attacks against U.S. Navy ships this week.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude also edged above $94 a barrel in after-hours trading.
The rise in oil prices followed gains during Tuesday's regular session, weighing on the three major U.S. stock averages as markets returned from the Labor Day holiday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.2% during Tuesday's session, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite declined 0.6% and 0.3%, respectively.
The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield briefly climbed above the closely watched 4.8% level as higher oil prices fuelled concerns about inflation.
There are no major economic data releases or corporate earnings reports scheduled for Wednesday. Later in the week, investors will turn their attention to key inflation readings for clues about the Federal Reserve's next move on interest rates.
