Source: Sharecast
As of 1200 BST, Dow Jones futures were up 0.20%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures had the indices opening 0.25% and 0.44% higher, respectively.
The Dow closed 17.15 points lower on Wednesday as escalating trade tensions between Washington and Beijing remained in focus.
Futures were cautiously higher prior to the open as traders continued to assess US-Sino trade tensions, which flared up again after Donald Trump threatened a cooking oil trade ban on China, citing reduced soybean purchases linked to earlier tariffs.
Trump also warned of a potential 100% tariff on Chinese imports in response to new export controls on rare earth minerals, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said price floors across key industries were being considered to counter market manipulation.
Meanwhile, the US government shutdown entered its third week, halting the release of key economic data and leaving traders with limited visibility amid concerns over labour market conditions, consumer impact from tariffs, elevated interest rates and stretched valuations.
In the corporate space, JB Hunt Transport Services was up double digits in pre-market trade after topping earnings and revenue forecasts, while Salesforce shares traded higher following a bullish outlook at its Dreamforce conference.
On the other hand, United Airlines shares headed south after posting softer-than-expected revenue, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise shares slumped after guiding to a weaker FY26 outlook.
Bank of New York Mellon will report earnings before the open.
On the macro front, the National Association of Home Builders' October housing market index will be published at 1500 BST.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
