Wall Street Futures Show Little Movement as Investors Eye Key Economic Reports

Stock market futures remained largely unchanged Friday morning as traders prepared for important economic data releases. The reports will help determine the Federal Reserve's future policy decisions and provide insight into the nation's economic health.

Wall Street futures showed minimal movement Friday morning as traders held their breath for crucial economic indicators that could shape Federal Reserve policy decisions throughout the year, while also keeping watch on rising Middle East tensions and a possible Supreme Court ruling on Trump administration tariffs.

Friday’s lineup of economic reports includes the initial fourth-quarter GDP estimate, the Personal Consumption Expenditure index that the Fed relies on for inflation tracking, plus February’s business activity and consumer confidence numbers — all designed to reveal how the American economy is performing.

Economic forecasters predict the 8:30 a.m. GDP data will reveal the economy expanded at a 3.0% annual rate during the final three months of last year, down from the robust 4.4% growth seen between July and September, based on a Reuters survey.

Goldman Sachs analysts noted in their research that “Market pricing of growth has been choppier relative to the signal from the data.”

The investment firm added: “We think there is scope for cyclical assets to continue to draw support from ongoing tailwinds from a US economy that is heating up, while protecting against risks and valuation challenges in other areas.”

Tech companies have faced headwinds recently as investors question whether their expensive stock prices are justified and whether massive artificial intelligence spending will generate returns. Multiple industries from software development to property management saw sharp declines last week amid fears that emerging AI technology could disrupt their operations.

Investor confidence remained relatively steady this week, except for Thursday’s session when declining private equity shares along with drops in Apple and Walmart stock created market jitters.

The Supreme Court may also deliver a verdict Friday on whether President Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs were legal. Should the court overturn them, the government might need to return over $175 billion in collected tariff revenue, according to Penn-Wharton Budget Model researchers.

Energy markets saw oil prices retreat from their six-month peaks as traders evaluated escalating friction between Washington and Tehran. President Trump issued a stark warning to Iran, stating the country must negotiate on its nuclear activities or face consequences where “really bad things” would occur.

Early morning trading showed S&P 500 futures down 3 points or 0.04%, Nasdaq 100 futures up 3.25 points or 0.01%, and Dow futures declining 39 points or 0.08% as of 6:09 a.m.

Cloud computing company Akamai Technologies dropped 10.9% in pre-market activity after projecting first-quarter earnings below analyst expectations.

Digital currency-related stocks gained ground as bitcoin climbed 1.4% to $67,840. Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase rose 1.5%, while bitcoin investment firm Strategy increased 1.6%.