07:17 AM EDT, 10/02/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were tracking in the red in Wednesday's premarket activity as investors evaluate market risks from the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Standard & Poor's 500 declined 0.2%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was off 0.3% and the Nasdaq edged down 0.1% before the opening bell. Asian exchanges were mixed to lower while European bourses were mostly pointing higher.

Iran on Tuesday carried out a missile attack on Israel in retaliation over the latter's recent killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and an Iranian commander in Lebanon, media outlets reported.

In premarket activity, West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained 3.3% to $72.11 a barrel, yields on 10-year Treasuries rose 2.1 basis points to 3.76% and gold decreased 0.6% to $2,673 an ounce. Bitcoin slipped 0.8% to $61,390.

Shares of Nike ( NKE ) dropped 5.6% pre-bell as the sportswear giant withdrew its fiscal 2025 guidance and postponed its investor day. Lamb Weston ( LW ) fell 5.2% as the company cut its full-year adjusted earnings outlook. Tesla (TSLA) declined 1% as investors await the electric vehicle maker to disclose its third-quarter deliveries report.

RPM International ( RPM ) and ConAgra Brands ( CAG ) are scheduled to release their latest financial results before the bell, among others. Levi Strauss (LEVI) posts earnings after markets close.

On the economic calendar, the weekly mortgage applications bulletin is out at 7 am ET, followed by the ADP Employment Report for September at 8:15 am. The weekly EIA domestic petroleum inventories report is due at 10:30 am.

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack is slated to speak at 9 am, while St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem speaks at 10:05 am. Fed Governor Michelle Bowman is scheduled to speak at 11 am, while Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin speaks at 12:15 pm.