U.S. stock futures edged up marginally early Wednesday as investors parsed November’s nonfarm payrolls data and unemployment rate. Futures on the Nasdaq 100 (NDX), the S&P 500 (SPX), and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) were up 0.08%, 0.07%, and 0.02%, respectively, at 3:32 a.m. EST on December 17.
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During Tuesday’s regular trading session, the three major indexes closed mixed, with the S&P 500 and Dow posting their third straight day of losses. The DJIA dropped 0.62%, while the S&P 500 declined 0.24%. In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite edged higher by 0.23%, ending a three-day losing streak amid rising worries about an AI market bubble.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy lost 105,000 jobs in October, pushing the unemployment rate to 4.6%, marking its highest since September 2021. However, November added 64,000 jobs, exceeding the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 45,000.
Looking ahead, Fed officials Christopher Waller and John Williams are set to speak this morning, with investors eyeing hints on the central bank’s future plans.
Turning to the earnings calendar, major companies reporting today include Micron (MU) and General Mills (GIS).
Notably, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield was up, floating near 4.15%. WTI crude oil futures were trending higher, hovering near $56.05 per barrel as of the last check. Additionally, the Gold Spot U.S. dollar price increased to nearly $4,313 per ounce on Wednesday.
Elsewhere, European indexes opened mostly higher on Wednesday ahead of central bank rate decisions and UK’s cooling inflation print.
Asia-Pacific Markets Traded Higher
Asia-Pacific markets traded mostly higher on Wednesday amid regional data releases.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.82%. In China, the Shanghai Composite gained 1.19%, while the Shenzhen Component advanced 1.70%. Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei increased 0.26%, and the Topix fell 0.03%.
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