Stock futures were mixed to end a week that has seen major equities indexes sell off on concerns about AI spending and valuations of big tech firms, while the price of bitcoin continued to fall amid risk-off market sentiment.
Futures associated with the Nasdaq were pointing down 0.2% after the tech-heavy index sank 2.2% yesterday. Those affiliated with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4% after the blue-chip index lost an early 700-point advance Thursday to close down nearly 400 points, or 0.8%. Futures associated with the S&P 500 were little changed after the benchmark index ended down 1.6% yesterday.
All three indexes were poised to close the week sharply lower, with the Nasdaq down 3.6% through Thursday.
Yesterday, stocks sold off, with Nvidia (NVDA) shares falling 3.2% even though the AI darling posted blockbuster third-quarter results and issued rosy guidance after the bell Wednesday. Shares of the world’s most valuable company were down nearly 2% further in premarket trading.
Bitcoin continued its recent drop amid risk-off sentiment, falling to as low as about $81,600—its lowest level since April 11—from an overnight high of more than $88,000. The biggest cryptocurrency recently was trading around $82,800. Crypto-tied stocks Robinhood Markets (HOOD), Coinbase Global (COIN), Strategy (MSTR), and MARA Holdings (MARA) all were down after tumbling yesterday.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 4.07% from Thursday’s close of about 4.10%. The yield had slipped yesterday after a mixed U.S. jobs report did little to settle the Federal Reserve’s dilemma about whether to cut its key interest rate in December.
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the performance of the dollar against a basket of foreign currencies, was little changed at 100.24. WTI crude futures, the U.S. oil benchmark, dropped 2.2% to $57.85 per barrel. Gold futures fell 0.6% to $4,035 per ounce.
One bright spot Thursday was Walmart (WMT), whose shares jumped 6.5% to lead the S&P 500 and Dow after it reported better-than-expected third-quarter results and raised its fiscal 2026 outlook. Shares of the world’s largest retailer, which also announced it was switching its stock listing to the Nasdaq from the New York Stock Exchange, ticked higher before the bell.
Elsewhere in corporate news, shares of Gap (GAP), Intuit (INTU), and Ross Stores (ROST) were up a respective 4%, 3.5%, and 3.5%, after each reported earnings after the close Thursday. BJ’s Wholesale Club (BJ) was set to report results before the bell Friday.