US futures are indicating a slightly higher open as of 05:00 ET. European equity markets are softer in early trade, after Asian markets were largely mixed overnight. Aluminum is steady after hitting a 10-year high amid political unrest in Guinea, which spurred concerns over production. The Delta variant continues to drive discussions about the economic outlook, with Goldman Sachs downgrading its US growth forecast. Companies mentioned: Deutsche Telekom (DE:DTEGn), Tele2 (ST:TEL2b), SoftBank (T:9984), T-Mobile US (NASDAQ:TMUS), Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA).