Trump, Xi Focus on Trade and AI at White House Summit 
Australia Unemployment Hits Five-Year High Despite Strong Jobs Growth 
Japanese Bank Stocks Surge as Bond Yields Fuel Rate Hike Bets 
Asian Stocks Fall as Surging Bond Yields Rattle Markets 
Japanese Yen Rebounds as Trump Flags Currency Weakness 
Asian Currencies Mixed as Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High 
European Stocks Fall as Bond Yields and Geopolitical Risks Weigh 
Gold Holds Near $4,275 as Rising Treasury Yields Fuel Fed Rate Hike Bets 
Mexico-US Trade Talks Delayed to October as Tariff Negotiations Continue 
Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High as Yen Approaches 160 
UK PM Burnham to Unveil Economic Vision at Labour Conference 
Wall Street Ends Flat as Oil, Treasury Yields and Fed Jitters Rattle Markets 
Dollar Falls as Oil Eases, Yen Jumps on Intervention Signals 
China Agrees to Buy 20 Million Tons of U.S. Coal 
Oil Prices Jump 3% as Houthi Attack Revives Supply Fears 
Germany’s 2026 Growth Outlook Strengthens on Fiscal Spending 
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Stock index futures remained mostly flat Thursday evening, stabilizing after a mixed Wall Street session. Investors digested lukewarm economic data and growing expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts in 2025. Optimism over recent U.S.-China trade de-escalation also supported market sentiment, along with speculation on further trade deals under Donald Trump’s administration.
The S&P 500 futures hovered at 5,935.25, Nasdaq 100 futures stayed at 21,414.50, and Dow Jones futures edged up 0.1% to 42,420. Markets were seen pricing in at least two Fed rate cuts this year, spurred by softer-than-expected producer inflation and retail sales data. However, the Fed has yet to signal a timeline for policy easing.
On Thursday, Wall Street posted a mixed close. The S&P 500 gained 0.4% to 5,916.93, and the Dow Jones rose 0.7% to 42,322.75, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.2% to 19,112.32. The pullback in tech stocks came after a strong rally earlier in the week, although gains in cyclical sectors helped offset declines.
After-hours movers included Vistra Energy (NYSE:VST), which surged nearly 4% after announcing a $1.9 billion acquisition of natural gas assets, aimed at powering AI-focused data centers. Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ:TTWO) dropped 2.5% after cutting its bookings forecast due to a delay in Grand Theft Auto VI. Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) slid 5.4% as weaker revenue and soft guidance overshadowed its earnings beat.
Despite tech volatility, chipmaker earnings continued to boost investor confidence in AI-driven demand, suggesting further strength in the semiconductor sector in coming quarters.
