U.S. stock futures are higher in pre-market trading for Wednesday, February 28. The Dow Futures are trading at 25,458.00  for up   with +0.11% percent or +29.00 point. The S&P 500 Futures are trading at 2,751.75  for up with +0.15% percent or +4.25 point.The Nasdaq Futures are trading at 6,920.00  for up with +0.06% percent or +4.25 point.

In overnight trading in the Eastern Hemisphere,  Japan’s Nikkei 225 are trading at 22,252.88  with a loss of -0.61% percent or  -136.98 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng are trading at 30,974.49  with a loss of -0.94% percent or  -294.17 point. China’s Shanghai Composite are trading at 3,268.06 with  a loss of -0.73% percent or -24.01 point. India’s BSE Sensex are trading at 34,346.39 with a loss of -0.29%  percent or  -99.36  point at 12:15 PM.The FTSE 100 are trading at 7,266.60  with a loss of -0.22% percent or  -15.85 point. Germany’s DAX are trading at 12,463.70  with a loss of -0.22% percent or  -27.03 point. France’s CAC 40 are trading at 5,332.82  with a loss of -0.21% percent or -11.10 point. The Stoxx Europe 600 are trading at 381.81  with a loss of -0.14% percent or -0.55 point.

Wednesday’s Factors and Events

U.S. stocks fell for the first time in four days Wednesday after comments from new Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell sent rates higher.

The new chair signaled the central bank could hike rates more than three times this year in an effort to keep the economy from overheating, sparking anxiety among equity traders.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 299.24 points Tuesday to close at 25,410.03, with Disney and Home Depot weighing down the 30-stock index. The S&P 500 fell 1.27 percent to finish at 2,744.28 as real estate, consumer discretionaries and telecommunications pulled the broader market lower

Tuesday’s Activity

U.S. market were lower on Tuesday. For the day the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 25,410.03  with  a loss of -1.16% percent or -299.24 point. The S&P 500 closed at 2,744.28  with a loss of -1.27% percent or -35.32 point. The Nasdaq Composite closed at 7,330.35  with a loss of -1.23% percent or -91.11 point.

Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,536.47  with a loss of -1.47% percent or -22.86 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 937.83   with a loss of -1.57% percent or -14.93 point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 1,887.21  with  a loss of -1.45% percent or -27.72 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,216.31  with a loss of -1.31% percent or -16.18 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,618.09  with a loss of -1.29% percent or – 21.08 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,517.51  with a loss of -1.27% percent or -19.55 point; and the Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index closed at 25,410.03   with  a loss of -1.16% percent or  -299.24 point