U.S. stock-index futures opened near unchanged and attempted to edge higher Sunday night, as investors reacted to chaotic weekend events that saw a short-lived rebellion that pitted the mercenary Wagner Group against the Russian military leadership. After advancing to within around two hours of Moscow, the mutiny was abruptly halted, with Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin reportedly agreeing to depart for Belarus. Analysts said the events, while a potential plus for Ukraine 16 months after Russia’s invasion, appeared to weaken Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hold on the country, That raises concerns about the potential for further internal strife, a recipe for uncertainty that could feed volatility in financial markets. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average
YM00,
rose 20 points, while S&P 500
ES00,
futures ticked up 2.75 points and Nasdaq-100 futures
NQ00,
edged up 11.25 points shortly after the start of electronic trading. Moves for all three contracts amounted to less than 0.1%. Stocks fell last week, with the S&P 500
SPX,
snappng a streak of five straight weekly gains. Oil futures rose, with West Texas Intermediate crude for August delivery
CL.1,
CL00,
the U.S. benchmark, up 48 cents, or 0.7%, at $69.64 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
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