US stock futures edged lower on Wednesday after the major indexes closed lower in the previous session, weighed down by a renewed selloff in semiconductor stocks.
Investors continued to assess escalating tensions in the Middle East and rising oil prices after the US launched fresh air strikes on Iran following recent attacks on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Traders also remained cautious ahead of the release of the Federal Reserve’s June meeting minutes for additional clues on the policy outlook.
In Tuesday’s regular session, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 1.16%, while the S&P 500 and the Dow declined 0.45% and 0.25%, respectively.
Chipmakers came under renewed pressure as investors questioned whether AI hyperscalers can sustain elevated infrastructure spending.
Samsung’s 19-fold jump in quarterly profit also failed to lift sentiment, while reports that China’s DeepSeek is developing its own AI chip added to concerns across the sector.