On Wednesday, stock futures across the country declined, pointing to a lower Wall Street opening, mainly on the back of new signs that China might be looking to tighten its monetary policies in order to curb lending.

Investors have also been concerned because of a fresh round of major US bank earnings reports and numbers on housing starts.

Markets all across overseas locations were also relatively lower after reports speculated that some major Chinese banks have been instructed to stop lending altogether for the rest of the month, after having exceeded their credit limits.

The reports have come a day after a speech by Premier Wen Jiabao seemed to hint that China might pull back the flow of easy credit, a move that could undermine a global economic recovery.

Before the commencement of trading, Dow Jones industrial average futures declined by 42 points, or 0.4%, to 10,628 points, and S&P's 500 Index futures slipped 5.20, or 0.5%, 1,140.50. The NASDAQ 100 index futures fell by 8.75, or 0.5%, to 1,881 points.