US stock futures advanced on Wednesday following reports that Washington was pursuing talks with Iran to end the conflict. Dow and S&P 500 futures each rose about 0.7%, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.8%. President Donald Trump said Iran had offered a gesture of goodwill in negotiations tied to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, while the New York Times reported that the US had sent Iran a 15-point proposal to resolve the conflict. This lifted sentiment even after President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 2,000 troops to the region, as the administration considered options to ease Iran’s grip on the critical chokepoint. In regular trading on Tuesday, the Dow fell 0.18%, the S&P 500 lost 0.38%, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.84% as conflicting Middle East developments kept tensions elevated. Investors now turn to US export and import price data due Wednesday, along with earnings from Chewy, Paychex, and others.
