U.S. equity futures retreated Thursday, led by a sharper drop in technology contracts after Nvidia came under renewed selling pressure. The move put investor attention back on leadership risk at one of the most important companies behind the artificial intelligence market rally.
At 4:30 p.m. (Bangkok Time), Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.9%. S&P 500 futures slipped 0.44% to 7,604.75, while Dow Jones futures were down 0.01%.
Nvidia shares faced selling pressure in Wednesday’s extended trading after reports raised questions over the future of Chief Executive Jensen Huang. The New York Times reported that Huang had a personal relationship outside his marriage with a company executive. Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported that Nvidia directors were moving toward removing him from the chief executive role.
On Thursday, Nvidia had dropped as much as 5% in pre-market trading as investors assessed the possibility of a leadership change. Huang’s exit would mark a major shift for the chipmaker, whose rise has been closely linked to his strategy and relationships with large technology customers.
The futures decline followed a strong regular session on Wednesday, when optimism around artificial intelligence infrastructure spending lifted major U.S. indices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained nearly 255 points, or 0.49%. The S&P 500 climbed 1.31%, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.6%.
Technology shares had been supported by a post-earnings rally in CoreWeave and a rebound in Nvidia during the regular session. CoreWeave’s stronger-than-expected results and improved revenue forecast helped support confidence in longer-term AI-related demand heading into Thursday.
Investors are still assessing whether the AI-led advance can continue after recent volatility in Nvidia. The company’s share performance remains a key influence on sentiment toward the broader technology sector.
Outside equities, traders were also tracking political developments in Washington after the U.S. midterm elections, where Democratic gains added uncertainty over the policy and regulatory outlook.
Oil markets stayed in focus on Thursday as uncertainty returned around the U.S.-Iran negotiations. Brent crude dipped 0.02% to $92.74 a barrel on Thursday, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures slid 0.16% to $86.39.
The next scheduled U.S. data points are initial jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) Thursday, followed by existing home sales at 10 a.m. Investors will watch the releases for signals on inflation, employment conditions and the broader economic outlook.
