U.S. stock futures were fluctuating on Friday after ending in a mixed manner on Thursday. Futures of major benchmark indices were mixed.
Investors await the September reading of the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, the PCE price index, a marquee event delayed by the recent government shutdown.
Meanwhile, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, U.S. job cuts fell 53% month-over-month in November, but the total of 71,321 remained 24% higher than a year ago, reflecting a cautious labor market grappling with soft demand, tariff pressures, and rising costs.
The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.11% and the two-year bond was at 3.53%. The CME Group's FedWatch tool‘s projections show markets pricing an 87% likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting the current interest rates during its December meeting.
| Futures | Change (+/-) |
| Dow Jones | -0.03% |
| S&P 500 | 0.18% |
| Nasdaq 100 | 0.38% |
| Russell 2000 | -0.04% |
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, were higher in premarket on Friday. The SPY was up 0.20% at $685.79, while the QQQ advanced 0.39% to $625.37, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Stocks In Focus
Netflix
- Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) fell 0.52% in premarket on Friday despite outbidding rivals in the Warner Bros Discovery Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) auction and entering elusive negotiations.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that NFLX maintains a weaker price trend over the short, medium, and long terms, with a solid quality ranking. Additional performance details are available here.
Hewlett-Packard Enterprise
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (NYSE:HPE) tumbled 9.17% after reporting mixed fourth-quarter financial results and issuing weak first-quarter sales guidance. The company’s revenue rose 14% year-over-year to $9.68 billion, versus estimates of $9.94 billion. Adjusted earnings came in at 62 cents per share, topping market estimates of 58 cents per share.
- It maintains a weaker price trend over the short and medium terms but a strong trend in the long term, with a poor value ranking. Additional performance details, as per Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings, are available here.
Cooper Companies
- Cooper Companies Inc. (NASDAQ:COO) gained 12.94% after reporting better-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results and issuing FY26 guidance above estimates.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings shows that COO maintains a stronger price trend over the short, medium, and long terms, with a moderate growth score. Additional information is available here.
Zumiez
- Zumiez Inc. (NASDAQ:ZUMZ) jumped 14.09% after reporting upbeat results for the third quarter and issuing a strong fourth-quarter sales outlook. Zumiez reported quarterly earnings of 55 cents per share and quarterly sales of $239.132 million, both beating analyst consensus.
- It maintains a stronger price trend over the short, medium, and long term, with a moderate quality ranking. Additional performance details, as per Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings, are available here.
SMX (Security Matters)
- SMX (Security Matters) PLC (NASDAQ:SMX) soared 43.52% after reports it voted on 16 proposals at its annual general meeting in Dublin, approving all 16 of them by a majority, according to a Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
- SMX maintained a weaker price trend over the medium and long terms, but a strong trend in the short term. Additional performance details, as per Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings, are available here.
Cues From Last Session
Industrials and information technology stocks bucked the overall trend to close higher on Thursday, while the consumer staples, health care, and consumer discretionary sectors posted the day’s significant losses.
U.S. stocks ultimately settled mixed, though the Nasdaq Composite managed to gain around 50 points ahead of next week's widely anticipated Federal Reserve rate cut.
| Index | Performance (+/-) | Value |
| Nasdaq Composite | 0.22% | 23,505.14 |
| S&P 500 | 0.11% | 6,857.12 |
| Dow Jones | 0.067% | 47,850.94 |
| Russell 2000 | 0.76% | 2,531.16 |
Insights From Analysts
Luis Alvarado, Global Fixed Income Strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, reports that despite the market buzz surrounding artificial intelligence and the Federal Reserve, the most pressing question from clients recently involves managing excess cash.
In his market commentary, Alvarado warns that while liquidity is essential for emergencies, holding too much can erode long-term purchasing power due to inflation.
“While cash feels safe, it can quietly be causing you to miss opportunities,” Alvarado writes, noting that stocks and bonds have historically outperformed cash assets like money market funds over the long term.
The institute recommends investors generally keep only 2% to 10% of their portfolio in cash.
To deploy excess funds, Alvarado suggests strategies such as dollar-cost averaging to reduce market timing risks. He also recommends bond ladders, stating that “locking in today’s rates with intermediate-term bonds can turn idle cash into a productive asset”.
See Also: How to Trade Futures
Upcoming Economic Data
Here's what investors will be keeping an eye on Friday;
- September’s personal income, spending, and headline and core PCE Index will be released by 8:30 a.m. ET.
- December’s preliminary consumer sentiment data will be out by 10:00 a.m., and consumer credit data for October will be released by 3:00 p.m. ET.
Commodities, Gold, Crypto, And Global Equity Markets
Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 0.08% to hover around $59.72 per barrel.
Gold Spot US Dollar rose 0.36% to hover around $4,224.10 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $4,381.6 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.01% lower at the 98.9850 level.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was trading 2.62% lower at $91,086.65 per coin.
Asian markets closed higher on Friday, except Japan's Nikkei 225 index. India’s NIFTY 50, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, China’s CSI 300, South Korea's Kospi, and Australia's ASX 200 indices rose. European markets were higher in early trade.
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