U.S. equity futures moved slightly higher on Sunday evening after Wall Street posted a strong finish at the end of last week, with traders awaiting delayed economic data on employment and inflation that are due in the coming days.
Futures snapshot - By 19:12 ET (00:12 GMT), S&P 500 Futures had gained 0.4% to 6,978.75 points, Nasdaq 100 Futures were up 0.6% at 25,319.0 points, and Dow Jones Futures traded 0.2% higher at 50,327.0 points.
Late-week rebound
On Friday, the main U.S. equity benchmarks rallied after several sessions of declines, as bargain hunting re-emerged among heavily sold technology names and investors found support in easing bond yields. The S&P 500 rose 2%, the NASDAQ Composite climbed 2.2%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 2.5%, recording its first close above the 50,000-point mark.
The pickup in buying was concentrated in chipmakers and stocks tied to artificial intelligence, which had taken the brunt of selling earlier in the week. That earlier weakness reflected investor rotation away from high-growth names amid concerns that rapid advances in AI could disrupt software business models and put pressure on profit margins.
For the week, the Dow rose roughly 2.5%, helped by gains in industrial and financial shares. By contrast, the S&P 500 finished the week down about 0.1%, and the Nasdaq declined around 2%, underlining the outsized losses among technology names that weighed on broader indexes.
Data, earnings and the week ahead
Market attention is shifting toward key U.S. data releases that were postponed due to a partial government shutdown. The closely watched January employment report, which had been scheduled for last week, is now due on Wednesday. A private-sector employment survey published last week showed weaker-than-expected job growth, raising questions about whether hiring momentum is beginning to cool after months of resilience.
Later in the week, the January consumer price index is slated for release on Friday. That inflation reading will be monitored closely for signs that price pressures are easing enough to give the Federal Reserve room to consider potential rate cuts later in the year.
Corporate results may also move markets this week. Consumer beverage company Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) and automaker Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) are among the larger firms scheduled to report quarterly earnings over the coming days.
ProPicks AI mention
The article referenced a tool that evaluates individual stocks. It noted that ProPicks AI assesses Ford using more than 100 financial metrics on a monthly basis, applying an algorithmic approach to identify stocks with favorable risk-reward profiles. The mention included past winners identified by that tool, including Super Micro Computer with a gain of +185% and AppLovin with a gain of +157%.
Outlook
With futures modestly higher, the market tone is cautious. The near-term course for equities is likely to be influenced by the content of the delayed labor and inflation reports and by corporate earnings announcements that could either reinforce or offset recent sector rotations.