US pre-open: Futures trade higher as investors brace for data‑heavy week

(Sharecast News) - Wall Street futures were in the green ahead of the bell on Monday as market participants braced for a number of major US economic reports scheduled for release this week. As of 1230 GMT, Dow Jones futures were up 0.45%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures had the indices opening 0.44% and 0.49% firmer, respectively.

The Dow closed 245.96 points lower on Friday as investors rotated out of artificial intelligence stocks, just a day after the blue-chip index finished at a fresh record high.

Multiple key US economic data points will be released this week, with delayed reports set to be published following the autumn government shutdown. On Tuesday, November's non-farm payrolls figures will be published alongside October retail sales data, while November's consumer price index will be released on Thursday. The reports will provide investors with fresh insight into the state of the US labour market, consumer spending and inflation trends heading into year‑end.

Rostro's Joshua Mahony said: "Notably, the coming days do provide an almost unprecedented amount of data and central bank announcements, as the belated US inflation and jobs data comes into play within a week that already has a huge amount of key market moving events.

"Coming hot off the heels of a Fed rate decision that saw the third cut of the year, Kevin Hassett's statement that he would consider Trump's opinions if he is given the job highlights the likeliness of a uber-dove driving the Fed going forward. With the President calling for his 'voice to be heard', the prospect of sharply lower rates in the second half of 2026 does provide a bearish backdrop to the US dollar in 2026."

On Monday's macro slate, the New York Empire State manufacturing index will be released at 1330 GMT, while the NAHB's December housing market index will follow at 1500 GMT.

No major corporate earnings were scheduled for release on Monday.





Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com