Wall Street Futures Edge Higher as Nvidia Earnings and Fed Outlook Take Center Stage

Wall Street futures stabilized Sunday evening after slipping earlier in the session, with traders remaining cautious amid fading expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in December. Markets continued to reassess their outlook for U.S. monetary policy as uncertainty surrounding the economy and upcoming earnings kept risk appetite in check.

S&P 500 futures ticked up 0.2% to 6,768.25, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.3% to 25,177. Dow Jones futures were nearly unchanged at 47,215. Investors have been grappling with a sharp pullback across major indexes over the past two weeks as confidence in a December rate cut weakened considerably.

According to the CME FedWatch tool, markets now see only a 39.8% chance of a 25-basis-point cut at the Fed’s December 10–11 meeting, down from nearly 62% a week prior. A lengthy government shutdown delayed critical economic data releases, leaving policymakers potentially without October inflation and employment figures. With the Fed potentially heading into its next meeting with limited data, traders increasingly expect interest rates to remain unchanged. Investors are now looking ahead to the release of the Fed’s October meeting minutes for additional clues.

The Nasdaq Composite has fallen about 3.6% so far in November, dragged down by a sharp sell-off in tech stocks. The S&P 500 slipped 1.6%, while the Dow held firmer with a 0.9% decline and even notched a record high last week. A wave of profit-taking in artificial intelligence–linked shares has intensified concerns about overstretched valuations.

All eyes this week are on Nvidia’s upcoming fiscal third-quarter earnings. With a massive $5 trillion valuation, the company faces pressure to deliver results that justify its meteoric rise. Recent filings showed billionaire Peter Thiel fully exiting his Nvidia position, echoing a similar move from SoftBank, fueling questions about long-term AI sustainability and circular investments involving firms like OpenAI.

Beyond tech, attention will also turn to major retailers including Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and TJX Companies, whose earnings will offer fresh insight into U.S. consumer health ahead of the holiday season.