On Monday, U.S. stock futures experienced a downturn, with the three major indices declining by nearly 0.3% after reaching record highs last Friday. This market activity comes as traders continue to reevaluate the Federal Reserve's policy direction following the recent interest rate cut. Expectations are further shaped by scheduled appearances from several Federal Reserve officials, including Chair Jerome Powell, throughout the week.
Meanwhile, investor confidence has been affected by President Trump's proposed changes to visa policies, notably a $100,000 application fee for the extensively utilized H-1B visa program. This proposal could substantially increase expenses for companies, particularly those in the technology sector. Notably, shares in the tech industry were showing weakness in premarket trading. Companies like JPMorgan and Intel, which are significant sponsors of H-1B visas, saw declines in their stock prices, with JPMorgan slipping 1.7% and Intel dropping 1.2%.
Among the large-cap technology firms, most recorded losses before market opening: Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Broadcom, and Alphabet all saw decreases ranging from 0.2% to 0.6%. However, Apple and Tesla diverged from the majority, displaying early gains of 0.6% and 0.7%, respectively.
