U.S. stock index futures were higher Wednesday morning, following upbeat comments from President Donald Trump over the prospect of the world’s two largest economies securing a trade deal.
At around 6:00 a.m. ET, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 217 points, indicating a positive open of more than 252 points. Futures on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were also seen relatively upbeat.
The moves in pre-market trade come after Trump said talks between Washington and Beijing were ongoing and confirmed he would not raise tariffs on Chinese imports until he was sure about a comprehensive trade agreement.
In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Trump also said he would intervene in the Justice Department’s case against a top executive at Chinese telecoms giant Huawei if it would help serve national security interests or help U.S.-Sino trade talks.
U.S. stocks finished lower on Tuesday, after alternating between gains and losses in a volatile trading session.
On the data front, investors are likely to closely monitor core CPI figures for November at around 8:30 a.m. ET, with the monthly Federal Budget set to follow later in the day.
In corporate news, Nordson, Oxford Industries and Tailored Brands are all expected to release their latest quarterly figures after the closing bell.
