U.S. Stock Futures Steady Amid AI Concerns and Gold Rally

U.S. stock futures showed muted movement early Wednesday as investor skepticism grew over the sustainability of the artificial intelligence boom. The S&P 500 snapped a seven-day winning streak, dragged lower by Oracle's disappointing AI cloud margins. Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Dow Jones futures edged up marginally at 0.21%, 0.16%, and 0.14% respectively.

Tuesday's session saw broad declines across major indices, with the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq falling 0.20%, 0.38%, and 0.67%. Political uncertainty from the ongoing government shutdown compounded market jitters. Oracle shares dropped 2.5% after reports revealed its AI division's profitability lagged expectations.

Market participants now await the Federal Reserve minutes for clues on monetary policy direction. The simultaneous flight to Gold suggests growing risk aversion among institutional investors.