US stock futures edge higher as traders brace for high-stakes China talks

Markets opened the week on a tentative upward note, with US equity index futures rising modestly as traders positioned themselves ahead of one of the more consequential diplomatic meetings in recent memory. The S&P 500 futures were up 0.2% in early trading on September 20, a small number that nonetheless carried a lot of weight given what was scheduled to happen later that day in New York. The move follows a quiet but positive session in the cash index on September 18, when equities closed modestly higher. Two days later, the futures market was essentially telling the same story: investors are not panicking, but they are not exactly throwing a party either. What is actually on the table China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng sat down with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for high-level trade discussions, marking one of the most significant face-to-face diplomatic engagements between the two countries in recent months. The meeting served as a precursor to a broader leaders’ summit expected later in the week of September 21, raising the stakes considerably for whatever signals came out of the initial talks. The agenda covers the kinds of issues that have kept trade lawyers and supply ...