By Lisa Pauline Mattackal
(Reuters) -U.S. stock futures rose on Friday, buoyed by strong Amazon results offsetting the previous session’s tech selloff, with investors awaiting nonfarm payrolls data for insights on the Federal Reserve’s key policy rate trajectory.
Amazon.com (NASDAQ:) soared 6.8% in premarket trading, as strong retail sales increased its profit above Wall Street estimates.
That lifted market morale after a tech-driven slump in Thursday’s session, as cost warnings on AI-related infrastructure from Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:) saw the Nasdaq tumble 2.7% on its worst day in nearly two months.
Nonfarm payrolls data, due before markets open, is now in focus. Economists polled by Reuters estimated that the economy added 113,000 jobs in October. However, analysts said labor strikes and hurricanes could skew the month’s data.
Meanwhile, Apple (NASDAQ:) dropped 1.7% despite beating quarterly sales forecasts, as investors worried about a decline in China sales.
While investors are largely certain the Fed will cut rates by 25 basis points in November, the outlook for subsequent months is less clear as economic data remains robust.
Treasury yields have risen to nearly four-month highs in recent weeks, pressuring equities, as traders speculate that the central bank will adopt a less dovish stance.
The Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election is also on investors’ minds, with many analysts predicting a close race and some uncertainty over the final outcome. The Federal Reserve’s November meeting kicks off the following day.
Unsurprisingly, equity volatility has risen in recent days, with the trading at a more than three-week high.
“(The) US October Jobs Report and Election Date pose significant risks to both sides of current rates outlook, we think the Fed is more likely to change its forward guidance than its rate decision next week in case of data (or) political surprises,” analysts at Danske Bank wrote.
Dow E-minis were up 139 points, or 0.33%, E-minis were up 20.25 points, or 0.35%, and E-minis were up 82.75 points, or 0.41%.
All three major indexes were on track for weekly declines, with the S&P 500 and the set for their worst week in eight.
Intel (NASDAQ:) jumped 5.3% after a better-than-expected revenue forecast, lifting other chip stocks, with Nvidia (NASDAQ:) rising 1.6%.
Shares of Boeing (NYSE:) rose 2.6% after a union of striking workers endorsed an improved contract offer that includes a 38% pay rise, with members expected to vote on Monday.
Oil majors Exxon Mobil (NYSE:) and Chevron (NYSE:) rose 1.6% and 2%, respectively, after both companies beat third-quarter profit estimates on higher oil output.
Of the S&P 500 companies that have reported third-quarter results, 77.2% have beaten analysts’ expectations, according to LSEG data as of Thursday, roughly in line with the past four quarters’ 79% average.
U.S. Manufacturing PMI data is also due later in the day.