Stock futures ticked lower Tuesday as new earnings from major retailers began to roll in, while traders looked ahead to a key speech from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell later in the week. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 2 points, near the flatline. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures were down 0.1% each. Home Depot shares edged lower after the home improvement giant reported weaker-than-expected second-quarter earnings but maintained its full-year outlook. Lowe’s, Walmart and Target are on deck for later this week. Investors have awaited these reports as they search for clues on how the consumer is faring amid a mixed inflation outlook and evolving U.S. trade policy. Wall Street is also awaiting clues from Fed Chair Jerome Powell as to what will happen at the central bank’s remaining policy meetings this year. Central bank officials from around the globe will convene this week in Jackson Hole, Wyo. for the Fed’s annual economic symposium. “We expect the Federal Reserve to use Jackson Hole as an opportunity to prepare the markets and signal towards a 25 basis point cut in September and a potentially accommodating stance through year-end,” said Richard Saperstein, chief investment officer at Treasury Partners. “Since this will be Powell’s last Jackson Hole conference as Fed Chair, he’ll likely reinforce the need for Fed independence from the Executive Branch.” The fed funds futures market is indicating an 83% chance for a quarter-point rate cut at the Fed’s next policy meeting in September, according to CME’s FedWatch tool. Tuesday’s moves come after a mostly quiet session. The S&P 500 closed less than 1 point lower Monday, sitting inches below a record high reached last week. U.S. Treasury yields were subdued early Tuesday as investors awaited the Federal Reserve July meeting minutes and its annual Jackson Hole symposium later in the week. The 2-year Treasury yield fell under a basis point to 3.76% at 4:45 a.m. ET. The benchmark 10-year note yield rose less than 1 basis point to 4.34%. The Fed will release minutes from its July 29-30 policy meeting, where rates were left unchanged, at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 benchmark ended the day 0.38% lower at 43,546.29, after closing at a record high in its previous session, while the broader Topix index fell 0.14% to close at 3,116.63. In South Korea, the Kospi index retreated 0.81% to close at 3,151.56, while the small-cap Kosdaq declined by 1.26% to 787.96. Mainland China’s CSI 300 moved down 0.38% to close at 4,223.37, after closing at its highest level since October 2024 in its previous session, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was flat in its final hour. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.7% to close at 8,896.2. Oil prices fell on Tuesday as traders weighed the possibility that talks between Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. to end the war in Ukraine could lead to the lifting of sanctions on Russian crude, raising supply. Brent crude futures fell 48 cents, or 0.72%, to $66.12 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for September delivery, set to expire on Wednesday, fell 40 cents, or 0.63%, to $63.02 per barrel. The more active October WTI contract was down 46 cents, or 0.73%, at $62.24 a barrel. Prices settled around 1% higher in the previous session. Gold prices rose on Tuesday, buoyed by lower treasury yields and a weaker dollar amid prospects of lower U.S. interest rates, while investors looked ahead to the Federal Reserve chair’s speech at Jackson Hole later this week. Spot gold was up 0.4% at $3,341.89 per ounce by 1008 GMT. U.S. gold futures for December delivery rose 0.3% to $3,386.60. The dollar index fell 0.1% against its rivals, while benchmark 10-year yields also slipped.