US Equity Futures Mostly Flat Pre-Bell as Fed Chair Kevin Warsh Avoids Interest Rate Guidance

US equity futures traded mostly unchanged ahead of the Friday open as Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh declined to offer guidance on the central bank's next interest rate move. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were flat, while S&P 500 futures rose 0.1% and Nasdaq futures fell 0.2%.

Speaking at a fireside chat during the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Warsh acknowledged "synchronous tightening" by central banks globally but did not indicate the likely outcome of the Fed's October meeting, according to CNBC. According to the CME FedWatch tool, market odds for a 25 basis point hike in October stood at 16.1%, a drop from Thursday's 27.7%.

Investors also assessed the latest corporate earnings, with Travelers (TRV) reporting higher core income and lower revenue for the third quarter. In energy markets, front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude rose 0.6% to $106.51 per barrel, and US West Texas Intermediate crude increased 0.4% to $98.39 per barrel.

Economic data releases were scheduled for the morning, with the September import price index expected to show a 1.0% month-over-month increase after a 0.7% gain previously, based on estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The export price index was projected to rise 0.9%, compared with a prior gain of 0.6%. The September industrial production report was set to show a projected 0.4% gain following a flat prior month.