The Daily

US stock futures were little changed on Wednesday, August 19, as investors weighed President Donald Trump’s decision to pause planned tariffs on Canadian goods against rising oil prices and weakness in technology stocks.

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1%, while S&P 500 futures hovered near the flatline.

 » Read more about: Dow, S&P 500 futures flat, Nasdaq slips as Moderna jumps 96%, Merck gains 7%  »

Wall Street doesn’t seem all that worried about the stock market taking a turbulent turn in the near future. That, in itself, could be one reason investors should stay on high alert.

 » Read more about: Here’s a ‘ridiculously cheap’ way to protect yourself against a stock-market selloff  »

Major market indexes have been soaring lately, with the S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.69%), Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC -1.33%), and Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI -0.22%) up by 6%,

 » Read more about: If a Stock Market Crash Is Coming, History Says This Is the Best Move Investors Can Make  »

HONG KONG — The robotics firm behind China’s famously backflipping humanoids leapt to a remarkable stock market debut on Wednesday, with Unitree’s shares closing up 460% as investors rally behind homegrown beneficiaries of the A.I. boom.

Chinese humanoid and other robots have advanced at a breathtaking pace as Beijing competes for global tech dominance with Washington,

 » Read more about: China’s backflipping robots leap to blockbuster stock market debut in latest sign of AI boom  »

After months of turbulence, the stock market is surging again as investors gain renewed optimism. The S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.69%) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI -0.22%) both reached new record highs in August, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC -1.33%) is also inching toward a new peak,

 » Read more about: The Stock Market Is Flashing a Warning Signal So Rare It's Only Appeared Once Before. Here's What History Says Comes Next.  »

US stock index futures were little changed on Wednesday after a tech-driven rout hit Wall Street in the previous session, as investors assessed Middle East tensions and awaited earnings from major retailers.

At 07:19 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis rose 53 points, or 0.09%, S&P 500 E-minis gained 4 points, or 0.05%,

 » Read more about: Dow Jones| Nasdaq | US Stock Market Today | Live: US futures steady after tech rout; Iran tensions, retail earnings in focus  »

Ding, dong. 

And good morning. Wall Street is limping toward the midpoint of a rough week, and Wednesday is not offering much of a hand up.

Futures for the Dow and S&P 500 are loitering around the flat line, while the Nasdaq-100 is nudging slightly higher.

 » Read more about: Wall Street heads into midweek directionless as traders eye Fed minutes  »

 » Read more about: Here Are Wednesday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: Baidu, Ciena, CME Group, Dollar Tree, Dominion, Fabrinet, Honeywell Aerospace, Klarna, Pershing Square, and More  »

US President Donald Trump threatened earlier this week to attack Oman if it interferes with US efforts in the Strait of Hormuz.

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Monday, as Tehran said that talks with Muscat over the vital waterway were ongoing.

 » Read more about: UAE halts trade with Iran after accusing Tehran of firing ballistic missiles  »

The following is a segment recap from The AI Investor Podcast, where 24/7 Wall St. Analyst Austin Smith and Eric Bleeker debate whether robotics is setting up to be the defining investment trend of 2027. In this segment, they dig into the reported 8,000X oversubscription of Unitree’s upcoming Chinese IPO,

 » Read more about: The Next Massive Robotics IPO Is Coming. Will Robotics Stocks Be 2027’s Biggest Investing Trend?  »