Investing.com - U.S. stock futures pointed to a flat open on Wednesday morning, as sentiment was kept in check amid heightened tension on the Korean peninsula.
Market focus was also being drawn to Hurricane Irma, a record Category 5 storm, which was barreling toward U.S. territory in the Caribbean and potentially Florida, where a state of emergency has been declared.
The blue-chip Dow futures was up 3 points by 6:55AM ET (1055GMT), the S&P 500 futures fell 1 point, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 futures tacked on 5 points.
U.S. stocks sank on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 stumbling to its biggest single-day loss in about three weeks, as investors shied away from risk amid fresh tensions with North Korea.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula continued to simmer, with a North Korean diplomat threatening that the country was prepared to deliver "gift packages" to the U.S. if the latter continues to put pressure on Pyongyang.
South Korea has said further missile tests could be expected from North Korea following its last nuclear test on Sunday. Many experts have been preparing for a weapons test around Sept. 9, when the hermit state marks the anniversary of its foundation in 1948.
Meanwhile, Irma, which was upgraded to a Category 5 storm on Tuesday, made landfall in the Caribbean on Wednesday morning, with the eye passing over the island of Barbuda.
The hurricane, packing winds of 185 miles per hour (295 km per hour), was expected to make landfall in Florida on Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami reported.
On the data front, monthly trade figures are due at 8:30AM ET (1230GMT), followed by the Institute of Supply Management's report on August service sector activity at 10:00AM ET (1400GMT). The Federal Reserve's Beige Book is also in focus.
Dovish comments from a few Fed officials on Tuesday dampened expectations that the central bank will raise rates a third time this year, with odds for a move by December falling to around 35%.
Elsewhere, European stocks were lower across the board, on track for their third-straight day of losses. Earlier, in Asia, markets closed on a relatively mixed to negative note.
Looking to commodities, gold prices hovered near one-year highs as flight-to-safety demand remained robust due to the North Korean risks.
Elsewhere, oil prices ticked higher, with focus being drawn to Hurricane Irma moving towards Caribbean shipping lanes.