Early indicators from the U.S. Futures Index suggest a potentially lower start for Wall Street on Friday, with significant attention likely on the monthly jobs report. Investors are also focused on President Trump's policy actions and his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishita today.
Regarding corporate earnings, Amazon (AMZN), the online retail powerhouse, is scheduled to announce its quarterly results following the market's close today.
During Asian trading, gold prices saw an increase, whereas oil prices experienced a decline.
As of 7:50 a.m. ET, Dow futures showed a modest rise of 16 points, while S&P 500 futures decreased by 0.75 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures fell by 4.50 points.
On the previous day, major U.S. indices concluded with mixed results. The Nasdaq increased by 99.66 points, or 0.5%, reaching 19,791.99, and the S&P 500 advanced 22.09 points, or 0.4%, to 6,083.57. However, the Dow Jones fell by 125.65 points, or 0.3%, to 44,747.63.
On the economic landscape, the Employment Situation report for January is scheduled for release at 8:30 a.m. ET. Analysts predict an increase of 168,000 jobs, compared to a 256,000 hike in the previous month. Manufacturing payrolls are anticipated to rise by 5,000 after a drop of 13,000 last month. Average hourly earnings are expected to reflect a steady growth of 0.3% month-over-month.
The Consumer Sentiment report for February is set for 10:00 a.m. ET, with expectations of a rise to 72.0 from January's reading of 71.1.
Preliminary Wholesale Inventories data for December will also be available at 10:00 a.m. ET, with a projected decrease of 0.5%, following a 0.2% decline the previous month.
The Baker Hughes Weekly Rig Count will be published at 1:00 p.m. ET. Last week, the North American rig count stood at 840, including 582 in the U.S.
At 3:00 p.m. ET, the Consumer Credit report for December will be released, with a consensus forecast of $16.0 billion, following a $7.5 billion decline in the prior month.
In Asian markets, trading ended on a mixed note. The Shanghai Composite Index in China rose by 1.0% to 3,303.67, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed by 1.2% to 21,133.54.
Conversely, Japanese markets experienced notable declines. The Nikkei 225 Index slipped by 0.7% to 38,787.02, and the broader Topix Index decreased by 0.5% to settle at 2,737.23.
In Australia, the markets closed slightly lower. The S&P/ASX 200 Index dipped by 0.1% to 8,511.40, and the All Ordinaries Index concluded marginally lower at 8,780.30.
