US markets today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures indicate positive open; SK Hynix ADR, Merck, Moderna shares in focus

Investing.com data showed that the Dow Jones futures were trading 0.10% higher at 53,451 points ahead of the opening bell on Wednesday, indicating a 100-point higher opening in comparison to the previous US equity market close.

The S&P 500 index futures were trading 0.02% higher at 7,715 points ahead of the opening bell on August 19, indicating a 20-point higher opening on Wednesday’s market, as per the exchange data.

In contrast, the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.25% to 29,511 points ahead of Wednesday’s open, indicating a potentially flat or marginally higher opening when compared to the previous Wall Street close.

Key things to watch before US market opens

US markets recap

US equity market indices declined to close lower after their trading session on Tuesday, August 18, as investors focused on the sharp sell-off cues among tech stocks, multi-year high US bond yields, and geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

MarketWatch data showed that the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.22% lower at 53,343.40 points after the trading session on Tuesday, compared to 53,459.78 points at the previous equity market close.

The S&P 500 index closed 0.69% lower at 7,691.76 points after the trading session on August 18, in comparison to 7,745.06 points at the previous US stock market close, as per the exchange data.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index dropped to end 1.68% lower at 29,490.96 points after the Wall Street session on Tuesday, in contrast to 29,995.38 points at the previous equity market close.

US stocks to watch

Investors were reacting to the company’s latest $29 billion buyback announcement, as the board of directors approved the share repurchase move along with its plans to allocate more than 50% of the free cash flow generated between 2025 and 2027 to power shareholders' returns.

According to the official announcement, the results from the trials and study will represent a landmark moment for adjuvant melanoma treatment.

Investors will focus on these stocks amid SK Hynix’s buyback update and weak technology stock momentum from Asian markets.

US Fed’s minutes in focus

The US Federal Reserve is set to release its minutes of the meeting from the FOMC’s July 2026 monetary policy session, which is set to be published at 2 pm (ET) in the United States, as per the official calendar.

Although the central bank decided to keep the interest rate unchanged in the July 2026 meeting, the minutes of the meeting will give investors further insight into the committee’s stance on the interest rate trajectory for the US economy.

Crude oil snapshot

Crude oil prices surged above $92 per barrel during the trading session on Wednesday, August 19, as investors focused on the latest updates from the West Asia conflict. At 5:19 pm (IST), Brent crude prices were trading $91.73 per bbl on Wednesday’s market.

The latest report from CNN showed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday showed that the country is suspending all trade with Iran amid the recent regional escalations.

However, Iran has denied firing two ballistic missiles, while the UAE said that they were targeting maritime navigation in the region. This comes after US President Donald Trump claimed that no talks between the United States and Iran are underway or scheduled.