What to watch today: Stock futures rise as new month of trading begins

What to watch today: Stock futures rise as new month of trading begins

BY THE NUMBERS , as Wall Street begins a new month of trading following a volatile May. Despite that turbulence, the blue chip and the ultimately finished the month essentially flat. The tech-heavy slid 2.05% in May, its fourth negative month in five, as investors balance concerns about high inflation, the Federal Reserve's response to it and the pace of economic growth. (CNBC) , after being closed Monday for the Memorial Day holiday. The Dow lost about 223 points, or 0.7%, on Tuesday while the broad S&P 500 declined 0.6%. The Nasdaq fell 0.4%. The major U.S. stock indexes are down considerably from their all-time highs. The Nasdaq is 25.5% below its November peak. The S&P 500 and Dow, which both notched their records in early January, are down 14.25% and 10.7%, respectively, from those highs. (CNBC) Oil prices were higher Wednesday, as market participants digest that some OPEC+ members are considering whether to suspend Russia from the energy alliance's production deal. Crude futures following the publication of the Journal's report, giving up gains earlier in the session. (CNBC) On Wednesday, U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude rose roughly 1.3% to about $116.20 per barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark,