- After the federal reserve indicated that inflation-busting rate hikes will continue despite a slowing economy, US equity-index futures traded marginally higher even though sentiment remained shaky.

- After the underlying benchmarks showed losses on Wednesday, the contracts for September on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 increased by around 0.1%. Investors analyzed some dovish passages in the minutes of the Fed's most recent meeting, causing the two-year Treasury yield, which is the most sensitive to monetary tightening, to fluctuate. Dollar prices increased for a second day. Cisco Systems increased in premarket trade in New York after providing a positive sales outlook.

- While policymakers cautioned against overtightening and hinted that rate increases would eventually be more gradual, they also raised the possibility of inflationary pressures becoming entrenched. Markets couldn't maintain a risk-on posture into Thursday because the nuanced messaging wasn't dovish enough. At the moment, caution was the watchword, and more information will be revealed at the Fed's annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the following week.