U.S. Futures Flat as Wall Street Pulls Back from Records Ahead of Jobs Report

U.S. stock index futures were mostly flat on Wednesday evening, after Wall Street’s major benchmarks ended the session broadly lower from record highs, as investors looked ahead to key U.S. employment data due later this week.

S&P 500 futures edged up 0.1% to 6,967.0, while Nasdaq 100 futures were little changed at 25,837.25 by 20:03 ET (01:03 GMT). Dow Jones futures also added 0.1% to 49,263.0.

Wall Street Pulls Back From Record Highs Ahead of U.S. Jobs Data

During the session, the S&P 500 declined 0.3%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.9%. In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite added 0.2%, supported by selective gains among large-cap technology stocks that helped offset broader market weakness.

Both the S&P 500 and the Dow had reached record highs in the previous session, and the mixed performance pointed to some profit-taking after the recent rally.

Figures from payroll processor ADP showed that private-sector job growth in December came in below expectations, signaling a slowdown in hiring momentum toward year-end.

Although the ADP report is often seen as volatile and not always a reliable guide to official government data, it added to evidence that the labor market may be gradually cooling.

Focus now shifts to Friday’s highly anticipated nonfarm payrolls report, which is expected to offer clearer insight into employment trends and wage growth. The data will be closely watched by markets evaluating the probability and timing of potential Federal Reserve rate cuts in the months ahead. Weaker-than-expected job growth could reinforce expectations that the Fed may begin easing policy earlier in 2026.

Attention on rising tensions between the US and Venezuela

Geopolitical strains continued to run high after U.S. forces apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, yet financial markets have so far exhibited only limited, short‑lived reactions to the dramatic turn of events. Investors appear to be largely unfazed by the heightened political risk, although the episode has introduced fresh uncertainty into the outlook for energy markets. U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Venezuela’s interim leadership would transfer up to 50 million barrels of crude oil to the United States.

Sources: Investing