US stock futures flat to slightly lower as investors await data and earnings

From Yahoo Finance: 2025-04-30 06:11:00

U.S. stock index futures were flat to slightly lower on Wednesday as investors awaited economic data and corporate results after a turbulent month for financial markets. First-quarter GDP data, PCE price index, and ADP employment figures are all expected, with economists downgrading estimates due to a surge in the goods trade deficit in March.

The U.S. economy is anticipated to have stalled or contracted in the first quarter, with a murky economic outlook attributed to changing tariff policies. Caterpillar Inc, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft are among companies reporting results, with concerns about a pullback in AI investments after Super Micro Computer cut its forecasts.

Snapchat parent company, Snap, dropped 13.3% in premarket trading after pulling its second-quarter outlook due to tariff uncertainty. Super Micro Computer fell 15.1%, while Microsoft rose 0.2% and Meta Platforms fell 0.5%. Indexes have recovered slightly this month following tariff announcements on April 2.

The Nasdaq Composite is poised for a 0.9% gain in April, while the S&P 500 is expected to slip about 1% and the Dow to lose over 3.5%. President Trump signed orders to soften auto tariffs, marking 100 days in office with trade policy changes continuing to impact market volatility.

Read more: US stock futures tepid ahead of data storm, megacap earnings