The start of Wednesday, U.S. stock index futures are trading lower, with investors adopting a more cautious stance ahead of the release of the main indicators of the American labor market. The movement comes after Wall Street ended the quarter higher, but the focus is now on the upcoming economic data that may influence the decisions of the Federal Reserve.
The highlight is the S&P 500 today, whose futures contracts were trading at 7.531,50 pontos, down 16.75 points (-0.22%). Meanwhile, Dow Jones futures fell to 52,490.00 points, a decline of 180.00 points (-0.34%), while Nasdaq futures were quoted at 30.464,50 pontos, down 59.00 points (-0.19%).
Among the other market indicators, Russell 2000 futures were falling to 3,034.00 points (-0.38%). The volatility index VIX was down 6.80%, at 16.45 points, indicating lower expectations of sharp fluctuations in the short term.
In the previous session, Wall Street ended a very positive quarter. The Dow Jones reached a new all-time high, while the S&P 500 posted its best quarterly performance since 2020. The Nasdaq Composite also accumulated strong gains, supported mainly by the appreciation of companies linked to the semiconductor and artificial intelligence sectors.
Artificial intelligence continues to be one of the main supporting factors for the technology sector. Demand for computing infrastructure and advanced chips keeps semiconductor manufacturers' stocks among the main highlights of the American market.
In addition to technology, investors are following the evolution of the macroeconomic scenario. Oil prices remain relatively controlled, despite the August crude oil contract rising 0.46%, traded at US$ 69.82 per barrel. Meanwhile, gold was down 1.10%, quoted at US$ 3,994.10 per ounce.
In the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin was also following the movement of greater investor caution. The leading cryptocurrency was trading near US$ 58,896, down 1.04% over the last 24 hours.
Attention remains focused on the official U.S. jobs report, which will be released on Thursday. The data should provide new indications about the next steps of the Federal Reserve, especially regarding the path of interest rates, a factor that may influence the performance of both the S&P 500 today as much as the other financial markets and cryptocurrencies.