(Reuters) -U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Monday as investors braced for a week packed with key economic data and earnings from some of Wall Street’s biggest companies, with the Trump administration’s trade policy developments also in focus.
The three main indexes ended Friday with weekly gains, while the small-cap Russell 2000 marked its best week since November as signs emerged that the U.S. and China could be willing to de-escalate trade tensions.
However, competing claims on the state of negotiations from Beijing and U.S. President Donald Trump highlighted the uncertainties facing investors as they attempt to navigate Trump’s disruption of world trade.
The upcoming week will see 180 S&P 500 companies report quarterly results, with the spotlight on “Magnificent Seven” megacaps Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta Platforms.
Earnings season has so far has been somewhat upbeat, with S&P 500 earnings now expected to climb 9.7% in the first quarter from a year ago, higher than an April 1 estimate for an 8% gain, according to LSEG IBES.
Of the 179 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings to date for the first quarter, 72.6% have reported earnings above analyst expectations, according to estimates compiled by LSEG.
Many companies have flagged the uncertainty caused by new tariffs, with some including Procter & Gamble cutting annual forecasts and others, such as American Airlines, pulling their annual profit outlook entirely.
Key economic data, most notably monthly U.S. payrolls data, gross domestic product data and the personal consumption expenditures price index, will also be keenly watched for signals on how new tariffs are impacting economic growth, inflation and the labor market.
At 5:40 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were up 20 points, or 0.05%, S&P 500 E-minis were down 3.5 points, or 0.06%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were down 6.75 points, or 0.03%.
The week also marks 100 days since U.S. President Donald Trump took office. An initial rally in equities after his election, on hopes for more pro-business policies and deregulation, has waned.
Instead, the S&P 500 has declined more than 4% since Trump’s election victory in November, and is over 10% off its February record high, as markets have been roiled by the impact of new trade policies.
Among individual stocks, Tesla rose 2.3% after soaring nearly 10% in the previous session.
(Reporting by Lisa Mattackal in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
Comments