Before the bell: Stocks poised for gains

U.S. stock futures pointed to a higher open.
Some investors are shrugging off minutes from the Federal Reserve released Tuesday, which showed central bank officials in sharp disaggreement about rising prices.
Meanwhile, gold prices are rallying as other investors believe inflation will become an issue sooner than later. Gold futures for June delivery breached a new intraday trading record of $1,462.10 an ounce. Silver broke a 31-year high of $39.71 an ounce earlier in the morning.

Companies: Dish Network (DISH, Fortune 500) announced Wednesday that it won ownership of Blockbuster for $320 million in a bankruptcy court auction. Blockbuster put itself up for sale in February, after the movie rental chain filed for bankruptcy last fall.
Monsanto (MON, Fortune 500) shares were little changed in pre-market trading, after the agricultural product giant reported quarterly earnings of $1.87 a share, slightly higher than analysts were expecting.
After the bell, investors get results from home furnishings retailer Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY, Fortune 500), which is expected to earn 97 cents a share.
Economy: No major economic reports are on the agenda for Wednesday, but investors will continue to keep an eye on budget negotiations in Congress and political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa.
Congress risks a federal government shutdown if it fails to approve a spending bill by Friday.