Financial markets, however, are still pricing in a 25-basis-point rate increase in July and no further hikes after that, according to CME FedWatch tool.
Ahead of his second day of testimony before the U.S. Senate Banking Committee at 10 a.m.
Shares of Tesla (TSLA.O) slid 3% before the bell after Morgan Stanley downgraded the electric automaker to "equal weight" from "overweight".
ET, Dow e-minis were down 114 points, or 0.33%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 13.75 points, or 0.31%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 61 points, or 0.41%.
Reporting by Shubham Batra and Shristi Achar A in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
Tesla, Morgan Stanley, Jerome Powell, Powell, Mark Luschini, Janney Montgomery Scott, Shubham Batra, Shristi, Arun Koyyur
Organizations:
Dow, Nasdaq, Federal, U.S . Senate, Tesla, Dow e, Microsoft, Boeing, Accenture, Darden, Olive Garden, Thomson
Locations:
Washington, Wichita , Kansas, Bengaluru