08:58 AM EDT, 05/22/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity futures were flat pre-bell Wednesday as traders stayed on the sidelines ahead of the release of Federal Reserve meeting minutes and quarterly earnings from chipmaker Nvidia ( NVDA ) .

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipped 0.2%, S&P 500 futures declined 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures were flat.

Oil prices were lower, with both front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude and US West Texas Intermediate crude down 1%, on signs of rising supply in the US. Data from industry group American Petroleum Institute reportedly showed a 2.5 million-barrel weekly increase in US crude stockpiles.

Existing home sales, due at 10 am ET, are seen rising to a 4.21 million annualized rate in April from 4.19 million in the preceding month.

The Fed is scheduled to release minutes of the most recent Federal Open Market Committee meeting at 2pm ET.

Nvidia ( NVDA ) is slated to release quarterly earnings after the closing bell.

In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 0.9% lower, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 0.1% lower, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.02% higher. Meanwhile, UK's FTSE 100 fell 0.7% and Germany's DAX index fell 0.4% in Europe's early afternoon session.

In equities, TJX Companies ( TJX ) gained 1.6% pre-bell after the company reported higher fiscal Q1 earnings and revenue, and lifted its fiscal 2025 profit outlook. Rezolute ( RZLT ) shares advanced 24% after the company reported its phase 2 trial of a diabetic macular edema therapy met the primary endpoints for good safety profile and reduction of central-subfield thickness.

On the losing side, LifeStance Health Group ( LFST ) shares fell 18% after the company priced a secondary stock offering.