U.S. stock market futures indicated a higher opening on Wednesday, ahead of a closely-watched speech by Fed Chair Ben Bernanke.
European shares closed higher on Wednesday, mirroring gains in the U.S. after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke reiterated his commitment to maintaining loose monetary policy. However, both European and U.S. shares pared some gains after Bernanke's more hawkish comments in the Q&A session.