As risk aversion rises as a result of the US data blackout, Dow Jones futures decline.

As traders exercise caution ahead of impending US inflation data, Dow Jones futures continue to decline.
The continuous ambiguity surrounding US-China trade relations caused difficulties for US stock markets.
During extended trading hours, IBM drops more than 7% while Tesla drops about 3.5%.



Ahead of Thursday's start of the regular US session, Dow Jones futures drop 0.12% to hover around 46,700 during European hours. At the time of writing, the Nasdaq 100 futures are up 0.23% to trade close to 25,100, while the S&P 500 futures are up 0.12% to trade close to 6,750.

The protracted government shutdown and ensuing data blackout have caused traders to adopt a cautious approach ahead of Friday's September US inflation data, which has resulted in mixed performance for US index futures. Due to the uncertainty surrounding US-China trade relations, which increased risk sentiment, the Dow Jones sank 0.71%, the S&P 500 fell 0.53%, and the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.93% during Wednesday's regular session.

During their meeting in South Korea next week, US President Donald Trump stated late Wednesday that he hopes to reach a number of deals with Chinese President Xi Jinping, including restricting China's purchases of Russian oil, US soybean exports, and nuclear weapons. The Trump administration is currently debating a comprehensive strategy to limit the export of goods made with or powered by US software to China.

Following mixed quarterly reports, Tesla falls by around 3.5% during pre-market trading hours, while IBM falls by more than 7% as a result of disappointing software revenue. Moderna drops more than 4% after its CMV vaccine fails a phase 3 study, and Molina Healthcare plummets more than 20% after the health insurer lowered its full-year earnings projection, citing increasing medical expenditures. Las Vegas Sands and Southwest Airlines, meanwhile, grow on the strength of their profits.