Stock futures lower amid Apple tax bill, oil declines

U.S. stock futures remained low Wednesday morning after oil prices slipped and Apple was slapped in a $14.5 billion bill for unpaid back taxes.

Here's where stock futures stood ahead of the opening bell:

Dow Jones: -0.3%

S&P 500: -0.2%

Nasdaq: -0.2%

Stocks ended a bit lower Tuesday as news of Apple's $14.5 billion bill over back taxes set in. It didn't help that investors continued to focus on what the Federal Reserve's next move on interest rates might be as Friday's key jobs report looms.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index was up .9% to 16,887.40, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose .8% to 22,996.14. The Shanghai Composite index rose .5% to 3,085.49.

London's FTSE 100 dipped .1% to 6,828.12, while Germany's DAX shot up 1% to 10,648.28 and France's CAC 40 rose .8% to 4,461.54.