Investors are holding their breath as U.S. stock futures hover near the flatline, with all eyes on January’s nonfarm payrolls report. The latest data is expected to reveal a slowdown in job creation, a signal that could shape the Federal Reserve’s next move on interest rates. Meanwhile, Amazon’s post-earnings selloff wiped out nearly $90 billion in market value, reigniting concerns about Big Tech’s aggressive spending on artificial intelligence.
Stock futures remained subdued early Friday, with Dow futures flat, S&P 500 futures dipping 0.1%, and Nasdaq 100 futures slipping 0.1%. This cautious stance follows a mixed trading session where investors wrestled with conflicting signals—strong corporate earnings from some sectors and mounting fears over AI spending spiraling out of control. While Eli Lilly surged on the back of continued demand for its obesity treatments, Honeywell’s announcement of a corporate breakup and weak financial guidance sent its stock into decline.
But the real game-changer arrives today with the January jobs report. Economists predict that the U.S. economy added 169,000 jobs last month, a notable slowdown from December’s 256,000. The unemployment rate is expected to hold steady at 4.1%, while wage growth remains on par with the previous month at 0.3%. If the data suggests a cooling labor market, the Fed may feel less urgency to maintain its restrictive policy, possibly fueling speculation of rate cuts later this year.
One company feeling the market’s wrath is Amazon. The e-commerce and cloud giant saw its stock tumble 5% in after-hours trading after delivering an underwhelming earnings report. AWS, its crown jewel cloud division, posted a 19% revenue increase to $28.79 billion, but that still fell short of Wall Street’s expectations. Adding to the disappointment, Amazon projected first-quarter sales between $151 billion and $155 billion—missing forecasts of $158 billion. Investors were also rattled by the company’s commitment to pouring over $100 billion into AI expansion this year, a staggering leap from 2023’s $78 billion. With competition heating up, especially from Chinese AI firms like DeepSeek, skepticism is growing over whether these massive investments will pay off.
Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, is also feeling the pressure. The digital asset slipped 1.3% to $96,933 as broader market uncertainty and trade tensions weighed on sentiment. Investors are increasingly wary of potential Fed policy shifts and global economic instability, leading to a cautious stance in risk assets.
As markets brace for a crucial day, the question remains: will the jobs report push the Fed closer to a policy shift, or will uncertainty keep investors on edge? With Amazon’s AI ambitions raising eyebrows and Bitcoin showing signs of weakness, the coming weeks could set the stage for major market movements. Buckle up—volatility is back in play.
Source: investing.com
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