US Stock Futures Flat Ahead of Greek Debt Request

U.S. stock index futures were flat on Wednesday, a day after the S&P 500 ended above 2,100 for the first time, as investors waited to see whether a debt deal would be reached with Greece.

Wall Street stocks have been tied to signs of progress or difficulty with Greece’s bailout program of late, even though the United States has little direct exposure to the country. Market participants are concerned that if a deal isn’t reached by Feb. 28, when a bailout program for Greece expires, increased volatility could spread through the euro zone.

European shares .FTEU3 rose 0.6 percent, hitting a seven-year high after the Greek government confirmed it would ask for an extension of its loan agreement. Shares in Greek banks .FTATBNK rose 7.1 percent.

 Still, the situation in Greece remained uncertain, with the government in Athens also looking to renegotiate Greece’s debts. U.S.-listed shares of the National Bank of Greece (NBG.N) fell 8 percent in premarket trading.

Investors also looked ahead to minutes from the January meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee for hints about whether the central bank might change the language of its next policy statement to flag a possible increase in interest rates, which could come as early as June.

via Reuters

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