Dow Jones futures lose as risk aversion increases due to US data blackout

• Dow Jones futures edge lower as traders adopt caution before looming US inflation data.
• US stock markets struggled amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the US-China trade relations.
• Tesla falls nearly 3.5% and IBM sinks over 7% in extended trading hours.

Dow Jones futures lose 0.12% to trade near 46,700 during European hours, ahead of the opening of the regular United States (US) session on Thursday. The S&P 500 futures gain 0.12% to trade near 6,750, while Nasdaq 100 futures rise 0.23% to reach near 25,100 at the time of writing.

US index futures show a mixed performance as traders adopt a cautious stance before September's US inflation data due on Friday amid the ongoing government shutdown and resulting data blackout. On Wednesday's regular session, the Dow Jones fell 0.71%, the S&P 500 declined 0.53% and the Nasdaq 100 slid 0.93% due to the uncertainty surrounding the US-China trade relations, heightening the risk sentiment.

US President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that he expects to strike several agreements, including US soybean exports, limiting nuclear weapons, and China's purchases of Russian Oil, with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting in South Korea next week. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is considering a broad plan to restrict exports to China of products powered by or manufactured with US software.

In pre-market trading hours, Tesla slips nearly 3.5% following mixed quarterly results, while IBM drops over 7% due to weak software revenue. Molina Healthcare plunges more than 20% after the health insurer cut its full-year earnings outlook, citing higher medical costs, and Moderna falls over 4% after its CMV vaccine failed a phase 3 trial. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines and Las Vegas Sands advance on the back of strong earnings.