United States stock futures ticked higher in overnight trading on Sunday as investors remained on edge over President Donald Trump’s impending tariffs on key trading partners.
By 10:25 am AEDT (11:25 pm GMT) Dow futures, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures were up by 0.2% 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively.
The tariff debate has sparked warnings from legendary investor Warren Buffett, who cautioned that punitive duties could fuel inflation and hurt consumers.
“Tariffs are actually, we’ve had a lot of experience with them. They’re an act of war, to some degree,” said the Berkshire Hathaway CEO. “Over time, they are a tax on goods. I mean, the Tooth Fairy doesn’t pay ’em!”
Uncertainty surrounding Trump’s trade policy has rattled markets, contributing to a volatile February. The S&P 500 fell 1.4%, the Dow declined 1.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite slumped 4%, marking its worst month since April 2024.
ANZ analysts also commented in a note to clients: “Anxiety remains high and the fragility of sentiment evident in the U.S. services PMI, major consumer confidence surveys and some regional Fed manufacturing surveys is spilling into financial markets.”
Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies surged on Sunday after Trump announced plans for a strategic U.S. crypto reserve.
Investors are also preparing for the February nonfarm payrolls report, set for release on Friday, amid expectations of a slowdown in job creation.
