Tech led US stock futures higher on Monday, trying to revive a rally stalled by doubts about Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts as investors looked ahead to this week's crucial monthly jobs report.
Nasdaq 100 futures (NQ=F) rose roughly 0.6%, while those on the S&P 500 (ES=F) added 0.3%. Contracts on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F), which includes fewer tech stocks, traded broadly flat.
Wall Street is already getting set for Nvidia's (NVDA) earnings on Wednesday, always an intensely scrutinized event. But the stakes are even higher this time amid doubts about Big Tech valuations and hefty AI spending. The chipmaker's results and outlook will test faith on Wall Street that earnings will continue to drive stock gains and that the tech sell-off is a blip.
On the plus side, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B) disclosed it has taken a nearly $5 billion stake in Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL). The move — likely one of the last under Warren Buffett's leadership — is a rare tech bet by the conglomerate, one that markets will set against AI trade concerns. The Google parent's stock popped 5% before the bell.
Investors are hoping to get an official snapshot of the labor market with the long-awaited release of September's jobs report on Thursday. But a full return to a complete slate of economic data remains up in the air, even after the federal shutdown ended. This week's delayed monthly picture of the US jobs market will come under high scrutiny, as the more cautious tone struck by Federal Reserve officials recently throws doubt on the central bank's rate move next month.
In earnings this week, investors will get fresh insight into consumer strength as retailers led by Walmart (WMT) report. Home Depot (HD), Target (TGT), Lowe's (LOW), and Gap (GAP) are others on this week's docket.
Bitcoin (BTC-USD), meanwhile, is serving as a health check for the crypto market at large. The price of the cryptocurrency has dropped 30% in a little over a month, from a record high of over $126,000 to below $94,000 per token. Over the weekend, bitcoin briefly erased its gains this year, which were sparked by the Trump administration's more crypto-friendly stance — a sign that investors are shifting to a risk-off mindset.
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