Stock futures are little changed after Nasdaq Composite posts fresh record: Live updates

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., Sept. 16, 2026. Jeenah Moon | ReutersU.S. equity futures were little changed late Tuesday as oil prices and bond yields eased on hopes for potential de-escalation in the war between the U.S. and Iran.S&P 500 futures added 0.02%, and Nasdaq-100 futures climbed 0.1%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 14 points, or 0.03%.In Tuesday's regular trading, the Dow fell 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.5%, marking its fourth positive session in a row. The tech-heavy index hit a new all-time intraday high and closed at a record. The S&P 500 finished marginally lower, but remains about 0.7% off from its all-time high.In Asia-Pacific, The Kospi added 0.66%, while the small-cap Kosdaq gained 0.54%. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 was flat. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 0.68%, while mainland China's CSI 300 was 0.13% lower. Japan's markets are closed for a holiday. Brett Ewing, chief market strategist at First Franklin Financial Services, told CNBC he thought the S&P 500 could hit 8,200 before the year is through."Our call at the beginning of the year was 8,000 on the S&P. We raised our target, believe it or not, in August to 8,200 by year-end," he said.President Donald Trump said Tuesday that U.S. and Iranian officials met for three hours during the annual United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York. He described it as a "very good meeting." Earlier Tuesday in his address to the U.N., Trump said he has a "big decision" over whether to reach a deal with Tehran or "annihilate" the country.Oil prices eased slightly, with both Brent crude oil and West Texas Intermediate slipping roughly 1% each in the session.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that the U.S. is deciding whether to prohibit exports of diesel, which reached a national average price of $6.53 per gallon, according to AAA."We're examining whether it's feasible in terms of the overall refining capacity and whether a full or partial ban would work," Bessent said during a bilateral meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United Nations.Going into Wednesday, traders will be watching earnings results from General Mills, Paychex and H.B. Fuller.Mainland China and Hong Kong shares open lower Mainland China stocks and Hong Kong shares opened lower, with investors continuing to keep watch for developments relating to Chinese leader Xi Jinping's state visit to the U.S. this week. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 0.68%, while mainland China's CSI 300 was 0.13% lower. The losses in Hang Seng were led by financials and industrials sectors, down 0.35% and 0.16%, respectively. —Justina Lee Asia-Pacific markets open higher amid hopes of diplomatic solution to Mideast conflictAsia-Pacific markets traded higher early Wednesday, amid lower oil prices following U.S.-Iran talks which raised hopes of a diplomatic solution to the Mideast conflict. The Kospi added 1.79% at open, while the small-cap Kosdaq gained 0..84%. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 was 0.34% higher.Japan's markets are closed for a holiday. —Justina LeeAsia-Pacific markets set to open higher following talks between the U.S. and Iran Asia-Pacific markets were set to open higher Wednesday, as signs of easing tensions in the Middle East helped to buoy investor sentiment following Iran-U.S. talks. Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 25,133, compared with the index's last close of 25,087.75.Futures for Australia's S&P/ASX 200 last traded at 8,822, while the index closed at 8,757.80.Japan's markets are closed for a holiday. President Donald Trump said that U.S. officials had a "very good meeting" with Iran's delegation and that it lasted about three hours. That raised hopes that a diplomatic solution to the Mideast conflict may be on the horizon. —Justina Lee Volatility is relatively low given uncertain conditions, strategist saysAt 14.21, the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) is low considering uncertainty around the Iran war and a new interest rate hiking cycle from the Federal Reserve, Brett Ewing, chief market strategist at First Franklin Financial Services, said Tuesday."The VIX is pretty calm considering everything that's been happening," he said. "You've got a hawkish Fed ... You've got an energy crisis going on."– Tobias BurnsThe S&P 500 is close to a new record, relying on familiar leadershipWhen there's a strong undertow near the beach, the move is to swim sideways, traveling parallel to the shore to reach a point beyond the narrow rip current's pull. The stock market seems to have executed such a cautious, patient maneuver. Months of bend-don't-break action had kept the S&P 500 within sight of record highs while that undertow pulled at parts of the market most exposed to higher oil prices, rising interest rates and a tiring household sector: consumer cyclicals, industrial shares and, lately, the banks.Meantime, semiconductor stocks and most of the mega-cap tech platforms were convalescing as AI-overspending fears eroded investor conviction and compressed valuations.Was Monday's propulsive rally, concentrated in the AI implementers of Big Tech, a sign that the market is revving to escape its summer-long stasis? Could both the "spenders" (hyperscalers) and the vendors (AI hardware providers) rally together for more than a couple of days?Read more here.— Michael SantoliStocks making the biggest moves in after hoursSeveral stocks were moving on news developments in extended trading.Worthington Enterprises – The industrial manufacturing company surged about 16% on an encouraging outlook from leadership. CEO Joe Hayek said the company is seeing opportunities across its business, "including rapidly growing demand for our engineered [American Society of Mechanical Engineers] tanks used in liquid cooling systems for data centers." First-quarter adjusted earnings and revenue surpassed the Street's estimates, per LSEG.KB Home – The homebuilder fell 2% after projections for fourth quarter deliveries came in below expectations. Housing gross margins for the current quarter are expected to range between 16% and 16.6%, while analysts polled by LSEG sought 17.2%.IonQ – The quantum computing stock jumped 11% after IonQ said it tested the industry's first real-time quantum error decoder. The new capability allows for quantum error correction across operations without slowing down execution time, the company said in an announcement.--Darla MercadoStock futures open flat on Tuesday eveningU.S. equity futures were little changed at 6 p.m. in New York.Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 15 points, or 0.03%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures were marginally lower.--Darla Mercado