US stock futures edge lower ahead of weekly jobless claims data
US stock futures traded slightly lower early Thursday as investors weighed fresh earnings from Nvidia and Salesforce. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped about 60 points, or 0.1%, while contracts on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 were also down 0.1%.
In after-hours trade, Nvidia shares edged higher after the chipmaker reported a fourth-quarter earnings and revenue beat. Salesforce, however, dropped around 3% after issuing weaker-than-expected fiscal 2027 revenue guidance, weighing on Dow futures and rekindling concerns about the broader software space. The company has been among those under pressure amid fears that rapid advances in artificial intelligence could disrupt traditional software models.
The cautious tone in futures follows a strong session on Wall Street. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 rose 0.8% for a second straight day of gains, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced about 1.3%. The Dow climbed roughly 307 points, or 0.6%. Technology stocks led the rebound, with Oracle Corporation up 1.2% and Microsoft gaining about 3%, even as sentiment in software and cybersecurity names remains fragile.
In commodities, gold prices edged higher as uncertainty around US tariff policy boosted safe-haven demand. Investors were also awaiting further clarity on potential US-Iran talks later in the day. Spot gold rose 0.4% to $5,190.01 per ounce after hitting a more-than-three-week high on Tuesday. US gold futures for April delivery, however, slipped 0.4% to $5,206.80.
Oil prices, meanwhile, declined amid signs of oversupply and easing geopolitical risk. Brent crude futures fell 82 cents, or 1.16%, to $70.03 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures dropped 79 cents, or 1.2%, to $64.63 per barrel. The pullback came after data from the Energy Information Administration showed US crude inventories surged by 16 million barrels last week — the largest build in three years. Traders are also assessing whether diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran could avert a supply-disrupting military conflict.
Investors now turn their attention to earnings from Warner Bros. Discovery, Dell Technologies and CoreWeave due later Thursday, along with weekly jobless claims data and the January producer price index report for further direction on the US economic outlook.
