U.S. stock index futures held steady Thursday evening, following a mixed day on Wall Street. Investors balanced hopes for new trade deals and expectations for more interest rate cuts after recent economic data showed only modest growth.
The focus remains on potential trade agreements between the Trump administration and major trading partners, especially after easing tensions in the U.S.-China trade war earlier this week. This development has boosted market optimism.
Wall Street’s gains earlier this week were mainly driven by this trade optimism and lower-than-expected inflation numbers. These inflation figures raised hopes that the Federal Reserve will reduce interest rates more than previously thought.
However, the rally lost some momentum by Thursday, particularly among big technology stocks.
By 8 p.m. Eastern Time, S&P 500 futures were unchanged at 5,935.25 points. Nasdaq 100 futures held steady at 21,414.50 points, while Dow Jones futures gained 0.1% to 42,420 points.
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Tech Stocks Pull Back
Wall Street closed mixed on Thursday. Technology stocks weakened after several strong days of gains, but losses in tech were balanced by gains in sectors sensitive to economic shifts.
Data on producer inflation and retail sales came in softer than expected, encouraging bets that the Fed will cut rates again this year. The market currently prices in at least two rate cuts, despite no clear guidance from the Federal Reserve.
The S&P 500 rose 0.4% to 5,916.93 points. The NASDAQ Composite slipped 0.2% to 19,112.32 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.7% to 42,322.75 points.
Key Aftermarket Movers: Vistra Up, Take-Two and Applied Materials Fall
In aftermarket trading, Vistra Energy Corp’s shares rose nearly 4% after announcing a $1.9 billion deal to buy natural gas assets. This move likely supports its goal to power artificial intelligence data centers.
Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive fell 2.5% after its annual sales forecast missed expectations. The delay of its highly anticipated game, Grand Theft Auto VI, contributed to the drop.
Applied Materials shares declined 5.4% due to weaker-than-expected revenue and cautious guidance, despite reporting strong quarterly profits.
Other chipmakers reported positive earnings this week, reinforcing confidence that demand for AI technology will support the sector in coming months.
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