Major United States stock futures were pushed lower on Thursday night (Friday AEST), extending market declines during the regular session as investors looked ahead to major earnings reports and key economic data.
By 10:00 am AEST (12:00 am GMT), Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell 0.4%, S&P 500 futures slipped 0.5%, and Nasdaq 100 futures lost 0.7%.
During the regular session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2.5%, the S&P 500 declined 3.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite slid 4.3% on Thursday.
Despite Wednesday’s optimism following a 90-day pause on some tariffs, Thursday brought a swift return to caution, as renewed trade policy uncertainty weighed on market sentiment.
Economic data released earlier on Thursday showed that U.S. consumer prices fell unexpectedly in March, driven by lower energy prices and easing shelter costs.
Investors are now turning their attention to Friday’s earnings reports from major U.S. financial institutions, marking the start of the first-quarter earnings season. Reports are expected from Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and BlackRock, with investors watching closely for signals on the health of the broader economy.
Also due on Friday (Saturday AEST) are the March Producer Price Index (PPI) and preliminary consumer sentiment data from the University of Michigan for April - both likely to influence expectations for monetary policy and the outlook for inflation.
