US stocks open little changed as investors parse mixed trade signals from Trump and China. Alphabet tops earnings expectations, boosting its shares.

In public remarks on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. is willing to negotiate with China, which sent markets higher. The comments from Bessent affirmed a shift toward de-escalation he reportedly shared at a private JPMorgan event a day earlier. Bloomberg News first reported those remarks.

China called for all "unilateral" U.S. tariffs to be cancelled on Thursday, as signs emerged that the Trump administration may de-escalate its trade war with Beijing. China also clarified it has not held trade talks with Washington despite repeated comments from the U.