US stocks flat in premarket as war rages in Europe

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. markets were essentially flat in premarket trading while oil prices continued to climb Russian forces bombarded Ukraine’s second-largest city and besieged two ports. The economic fallout from the Russian invasion expanded, with Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Ratings cutting Russia’s credit rating. They said the invasion and Western sanctions have hurt Moscow’s ability to repay debts and raised risks for the economy and stability. On Wall Street, futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average wavered between slight gains and losses a couple of hours before the market opens in New York.