United States stock futures edged lower on Wednesday night (Thursday AEST) as investors looked ahead to the release of the closely watched June nonfarm payrolls report following a weaker session on Wall Street.
By 9:50 am AEST (11:50 pm GMT), Dow Jones futures were down 53 points, or 0.1%. S&P 500 futures slipped 0.1%, while Nasdaq-100 futures fell 0.2%.
The cautious tone followed declines across the major benchmark indexes during Wednesday's regular trading session.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average eased 0.03%, while the S&P 500 fell 0.2% and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.7% as investors reduced exposure to semiconductor stocks.
Attention also remained on comments from Federal Open Market Committee Chair Kevin Warsh, who appeared alongside the heads of the European Central Bank, Bank of England and Bank of Canada at the European Central Bank's Forum on Central Banking 2026 in Sintra, Portugal.
ANZ analysts commented in a note to clients:
"Warsh’s appearance at the European Central Bank forum in Sintra failed to deliver the hawkish tone markets had been anticipating.
"Warsh reiterated that he will not give forward guidance, in our assessment however his comments on the supply side of the economy and in noting that inflation risks have reduced suggest a balanced approach to setting policy.”
Investors are now focused on Thursday's June employment report, which is expected to provide fresh insight into the strength of the U.S. labour market and the outlook for interest rates.
Economists expect the U.S. economy added 110,000 jobs during June, with the data likely to influence expectations for the Federal Reserve's next policy moves.
