U.S. stock futures pared earlier gains to decline on Tuesday following Monday's positive close. Futures of the major benchmark indices were lower amid the ongoing Iran-U.S. conflict.
Small business sentiment softened in February, with the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index slipping 0.5 points to 98.8. While the index remains slightly above its 52-year historical average, it marked the second consecutive monthly decline.
Despite this dip in overall optimism, the Uncertainty Index fell to 88, driven largely by a decrease in owners' hesitation regarding future capital expenditures.
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE: SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ: QQQ), which track the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, respectively, were lower in premarket on Tuesday. The SPY was down 0.37% at $675.78, while the QQQ declined 0.29% to $606.01.
