U.S. stock index futures edged lower on Wednesday night as investors turned their attention to key inflation data and an upcoming speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The cautious mood followed a mixed day on Wall Street, where gains in tech stocks were offset by weakness in other sectors.
Stock Futures Slip After Mixed Trading Session
Stock futures fell slightly in after-hours trading, reflecting investor caution ahead of Thursday’s economic updates.
By 8:00 p.m. ET, S&P 500 futures were down 0.1% at 5,896.25. Nasdaq 100 futures also dropped 0.1% to 21,372.25, while Dow Jones futures fell 0.5% to 41,929.0.
The decline followed a mixed session on Wall Street. Technology shares rose thanks to strong earnings and optimism around artificial intelligence. However, other sectors lagged. Hopes for a strong U.S.-China trade deal rally also appeared to fade by the end of the day.
Investors Eye Inflation Data and Powell’s Address
The market is waiting for Thursday’s release of the producer price index (PPI), which measures inflation at the wholesale level. Analysts expect the data to show a slight easing of factory gate prices for April.
This follows a softer-than-expected consumer price index (CPI) report earlier in the week, which raised hopes that inflation is slowing down enough for the Federal Reserve to consider cutting interest rates.
Investors are also focused on a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell scheduled for Thursday. Powell will speak about the Fed’s monetary policy framework, which guides decisions on employment, inflation, and interest rates.
His comments will come a week after the Fed kept interest rates steady, citing uncertainty in the economy and signaling no immediate changes.
Tech Stocks Lead, Broader Market Struggles
Technology stocks continued to outperform the rest of the market on Wednesday, supported by growing excitement over artificial intelligence. Positive earnings and forecasts from companies tied to AI helped lift investor sentiment.
SuperMicro, a server manufacturer, surged more than 15% during the day. Cloud computing company CoreWeave rose 6.6% during regular hours but dropped 7.9% after the close due to concerns about higher capital spending affecting profits.
Tech stocks have been the strongest performers this week, especially after the U.S. and China announced a major step back from their ongoing tariff dispute. Other sectors saw some initial gains from the news, but momentum faded by Wednesday.
The S&P 500 closed slightly higher at 5,892.58, up 0.1%. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.7% to 19,146.81, driven by tech strength. However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2% to 42,051.06, pulled down by weaker performance in non-tech sectors.
UnitedHealth Plunges on DOJ Investigation News
In after-hours trading, UnitedHealth Group shares tumbled more than 7% after a report from The Wall Street Journal revealed a Department
Related topics:
