(Reuters) -U.S. stock index futures slipped on Thursday as a rally fueled by the U.S.-China tariff truce appeared to ease, while UnitedHealth fell after a report of a DoJ investigation into the health insurer.

Gold futures slumped on easing safe-haven demand and investor positioning ahead of key U.S. inflation data. Futures were down 1.3% at $3,145.80 a troy ounce, its lowest level since April 10. The precious metal's appeal was dented by Monday's U.

U.S. stock futures point to a lower open, with corporate news in focus.

Trump’s tariffs and trade deals continue to affect global markets. Follow along for live updates on the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq.

Wall Street was on track to open with losses as the initial euphoria over the 90-day truce in the U.S.-China trade war faded.

Asia-Pacific markets were set to climb Wednesday, after Wall Street benchmarks mostly rose on easing U.S.-China trade tensions. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 is set to open higher, with the futures contract in Chicago at 38,365 while its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 38,300, against the index's last close of 38,183.26.

Questions about the longevity and future prospects of a U.S.-China trade deal gave gold a boost, with the front-month futures contract closing up 0.6% to $3,240.30 a troy ounce. "Despite the de-escalation in tensions between the U.

Asia stock markets traded higher on Monday following substantial progress in U.S.-China trade talks on Sunday. Traders awaited further details from the negotiations, which were expected to be announced on Monday.