US stock index futures recovered slightly early on Friday after yesterday's sell-off. Some investors assumed Thursday's sell-off, which was caused by recession fears, has peaked.
S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures increased by 1%, but lost their gains at the time of writing, indicating the upward sentiment in the market was fleeting. Another sell-off in the US stock market is possible at the end of this week, particularly after another statement by Fed chairman Jerome Powell.
The markets are very likely to finish this week in negative territory, pushed down by the interest rate increase, which will continue in July. The rate hike is set to remove liquidity from the markets, resulting in losses for various asset classes. Currently, global stock indexes experience one of the worst weeks since the crash of early 2020 caused by the coronavirus pandemic. However, some investors expect regulators to adjust their monetary tightening cycles, which should help markets recover in the near future. Many market players now wonder about the size of the rate hike, as well as how much the economy will slump.
Premarket movers
Shares of Adobe fell by 3.7% during the premarket after the software company issued a weaker-than-expected revenue forecast for the current quarter and the full year. However, the company's quarterly results exceeded market expectations.US Steel gained 7.7% in the premarket following the release of better-than-expected guidance for the current quarter. Rising demand and higher prices of steel also boosted the company's performance.Alibaba jumped by 9.2% during the premarket after Reuters reported that China's central bank approved Alibaba-affiliate Ant Group's application to form a financial holding company. That revives hopes of a possible Ant Group initial public offering.Shares of American Express advanced by 1.5% after Baird upgraded the company's rating to "outperform" from "neutral". Baird noted that "relentless panic selling" has provided an attractive buying opportunity.
On the technical side, the S&P 500 has plunged to new yearly lows. The only thing bullish traders can do today is steer the index above the resistance at $3,708. A breakout above this level would send the S&P 500 towards $3,730, where major market players would come into play. Some traders could likely take profits at this level as well. From there, the next target for the index is $3,755, but it is unlikely to reach it. If pessimism in the market prevails amid renewed speculation about fighting high inflation, the instrument could fall towards the closest support at $3,677. If the S&P 500 breaks below this level, it could result in a new sell-off at $3,640 and $3,608.
