U.S. equity futures were mixed on Friday as investors awaited August employment figures. The report is expected to shape the direction of the Federal Reserve’s next rate decision.
At 4:26 p.m. (Bangkok Time), contracts tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were lower by 0.06%. S&P 500 futures edged up 0.04%, while Nasdaq-100 futures climbed 0.35%.
The cautious premarket action followed a strong session on Thursday. The Dow advanced more than 600 points, equal to a 1.2% gain, marking its strongest performance since Aug. 4. The S&P 500 rose by more than 1%, and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.4%.
The rally came after Federal Reserve Governor Chris Waller indicated he favored leaving interest rates unchanged for now. Following those remarks, traders reduced expectations for a September rate increase. CME FedWatch Tool showed markets having roughly even odds to the Fed tightening policy further.
The August nonfarm payrolls report is due at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time). Economists expect the U.S. economy to have created 55,000 jobs, recovering from July’s unexpected drop in employment growth. Data released earlier in the week pointed to a labor market that remains weak but broadly steady.
