US Stock Market Today, Dow Jones, S&P 500, Nasdaq: Is Wall Street set for a muted start to the day on Wednesday? Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite futures—key indicators of the three main US equity benchmarks—are staging negative moves ahead of the opening bell in the American stock market. At 8:20 am Eastern Time (6:50 pm in India), DJIA futures were trading 70 ooints, or 0.2 per cent, lower at 44,573, while S&P 500 futures were down 5.5 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 6,141.3. Nasdaq Composite futures were barely in the red, trading down 7.8 points at 22,224.5.
How Dow Jones, S&P 500 & Nasdaq fared on Tuesday in Holiday-shortened Week
On February 18, the Dow Jones climbed up 10.3 points to end at 44,556.3, while the S&P 500 rose 15 points, or 0.2 per cent, to 6,129.6 and the technology stocks-heavy Nasdaq Composite added 14.5 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 20,041.3. Investors remained on the back foot with the earnings season in its last leg and caution on account of global trade war-related concerns.
Wall Street remained shut for trade on Monday for President’s Day.
Key Things to Track in US Stock Market on Wednesday
On Wednesday, analysts will closely track minutes of the last Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) policy review, which took place on January 28 and 29 wherein the US central bank decided to keep the benchmark US interest rate unchanged at 4.25-4.5 per cent. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the US central bank awaited more data on inflation trends and jobs in the world’s largest economy to take a call on interest rates.
Here are a few things to watch out for in the US:
- FOMC minutes
- Crude oil stockpiles data
- US jobless claims data
Global Trade War Looms Large Over Markets
Analysts await more clarity on the impact of US President Donald Trump’s policies.
Trump has hinted at plans to impose a 25 per cent tariff on car imports and similar levies on products like drugs and semiconductor chips as soon as April 2.
However, the 47th president of the US, who took office in January 2025, has indicated that businesses will be given time to move their manufacturing plants to the US before the levies come into force.
Many analysts and market experts are divided over the repurcussions of an imminent trade war triggered by what some are referring to as “Trump trade”.
Some are also fearing that sudden trade tariff moves by the US and other major economies’ response to them could impact economic growth, lead to inflationary pressure and even lead to geopolitical risks.
Nifty 50 | How Dalal Street Fared on Wednesday
Back home, domestic equity benchmarks finished yet another choppy session mildly in the red. The Sensex lost 28.2 points to end at 75,939.2 while the Nifty50 gave up 12.4 points to close at 22,932.9, as selling pressure in IT stocks offset buying in financial shares.
On Dalal Street, a mix of factors such as muted earnings, persistent FII outflows and global trade-related concerns has kept the bulls at bay.
Trump’s aggressive tariff stance has rattled several markets across the globe and Dalal Street is no exception. If implemented, these tariffs could potentially hurt India’s export-driven sectors, such as IT and pharmaceuticals, say analysts.
Market guru Anil Singhvi believes that slapping a full 25 per cent tariff on pharmaceuticals is nearly impossible. The US heavily depends on affordable Indian generics, and any drastic move could worsen the healthcare crisis for American consumers. A symbolic tariff in the range of 5-10 per cent is more likely, but even that could negatively impact pharma exporters, he adds.
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With inputs from agencies