Noor Trends News, Technical Analysis, Educational Tools and Recommendations
U.S. stock index futures steadied on Friday, as investors awaited the crucial nonfarm payrolls report while digesting Amazon’s weaker-than-expected revenue outlook.
Stock Market Overview
- Dow Jones Futures: Up 16 points (0.1%)
- S&P 500 Futures: Down 3 points (0.1%)
- Nasdaq 100 Futures: Down 15 points (0.1%)
On Thursday, the NASDAQ Composite and S&P 500 logged their third consecutive session of gains, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed slightly lower. All three major indexes are poised to end the week with modest gains.
Nonfarm Payrolls in Focus
The January jobs report, due later in the session, will provide key insights into the U.S. economy and Federal Reserve’s rate trajectory.
- Expected job additions: 169,000, down from 256,000 in December.
- Unemployment rate: 4.1% (unchanged from December).
- Average hourly earnings growth: 0.3% month-on-month (same as December).
Earlier data this week showed private payroll growth, but job openings declined sharply, the most in 14 months. A strong labor market could give the Federal Reserve more reason to keep rates steady, especially amid inflation concerns and uncertainty over Trump’s policies.
Amazon Slumps on Weak Guidance
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) fell in premarket trading after issuing a weaker-than-expected Q1 2025 sales forecast of $151 billion to $155.5 billion, below estimates of $158.33 billion.
- Stronger-than-expected Q4 2024 earnings, but concerns over revenue growth persist.
- Stronger U.S. dollar could hurt international e-commerce revenue.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) posted weaker-than-expected growth, mirroring trends seen in Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOGL).
The slowdown in cloud growth has also raised concerns over AI investments, as tech giants ramp up capital spending on artificial intelligence in 2025.
