FX.co ★ US Futures Flat Ahead of Key Jobs Report

On Friday, U.S. stock futures remained mostly stable as investors prepared for the December jobs report, a critical indicator anticipated to shed light on labor market conditions and the Federal Reserve's future policy direction. Market participants were also attentive to a potential U.S. Supreme Court decision concerning the legality of tariffs enacted during the Trump administration. In regular trading on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.55%, the S&P 500 saw a modest rise of 0.01%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell by 0.44%. This trading session highlighted a shift away from high-growth technology stocks into other sectors due to heightened examination of AI-related capital expenses. Semiconductor and AI-associated stocks experienced notable declines, including Nvidia down by 2.2%, Micron Technology by 3.7%, Broadcom by 3.2%, AMD by 2.5%, and Palantir by 2.7%. Conversely, defense sector stocks surged following President Trump's proposal for a $1.5 trillion U.S. military budget for 2027. This boost led to Lockheed Martin gaining 4.4%, Northrop Grumman 2.4%, and Kratos Defense 13.8%.