U.S. equity futures were mixed on Monday, with investors returning to risk assets after a turbulent stretch for artificial intelligence-linked shares. The move came before a packed calendar of corporate results and inflation readings that could shape sentiment toward technology stocks.
At 4:24 p.m. (Bangkok Time), contracts tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.59%, while S&P 500 futures added 0.23%. Meanwhile, Nasdaq-100 futures were 0.11% lower, following weekly declines for all three major U.S. benchmarks.
AI remained the central market focus after chip stocks helped stabilize trading on Friday. The Nasdaq Composite, which is heavily weighted toward technology, climbed 1.09%, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.31%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved the other way, falling 237.33 points, or 0.46%.
The partial recovery followed a sharp AI-led selloff on Thursday. Even with Friday’s rebound, investors remained guarded after stronger-than-expected employment figures and political developments that raised concerns about the outlook for the AI infrastructure buildout. Democrats’ strong midterm showing has fueled worries that stricter rules on data center construction, electricity consumption and development expenses could weigh on expansion plans.
Nvidia added another point of focus for traders before the opening bell. The company’s shares dropped 5% in pre-market trading after reports that its board was beginning an independent investigation involving Chief Executive Jensen Huang’s relationship with an individual that has links to China.
Several media organizations reported last week that U.S. officials believe Huang had a romantic relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman alleged to have been recruited by China’s intelligence service. In an employee memo obtained by the Financial Times, Huang acknowledged he had been unfaithful to his wife, apologized for the harm caused to his family and said his conduct had no justification.
Despite the pressure on Nvidia, broader index futures suggested the wider market was continuing to recover from Thursday’s heavy decline.
Investors will monitor AI-related earnings this week, with CoreWeave, Cisco and Applied Materials scheduled to report. Those results are expected to help traders assess the condition of the technology trade and whether recent weakness in the sector may continue.
The Monday economic calendar includes September wholesale inventories, due at 10 a.m. (Eastern Time).
