US stock futures diverged early Friday after the major indexes slumped following a weak earnings outlook from retail giant Walmart (WMT).
S&P 500 (ES=F) futures edged up 0.1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures (NQ=F) rose 0.3%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) fell 0.3%, after the index led a broad Wall Street slide on Thursday. UnitedHealth (UNH) shares looked to be a drag on the Dow on Friday, down 11% premarket as a report said the Department of Justice is probing its Medicare billing practices.
The benchmark S&P 500 and Nasdaq are on track for weekly wins, while the Dow is staring at a loss.
22,232.00
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As of 8:52:28 GMT-5. Market open.
NQ=F ES=F YM=F
President Donald Trump’s tariffs continue to leave retailers and consumers stumped by what will be impacted in the coming months. Walmart’s warning on its 2025 outlook sparked a broad market downturn on Thursday, and the company cited tariff uncertainty as one factor.
Walmart’s CFO told Yahoo Finance that price hikes for electronics and general merchandise would likely be passed on to the consumer if tariffs impact the retail giant’s bottom line.
Friday is a slow day for economic data releases, with little on the earnings menu. January’s existing home sales information will provide a glimpse into the housing market, while a reading on consumer sentiment is also due from the University of Michigan.
In individual movers, energy drink company Celsius Holdings (CELH) stock skyrocketed over 30% after the company announced it would buy competitive drink maker Alani Nutrition for $1.8 billion.
Meta (META) continues to make headlines in a record-setting year of gains. On Thursday it was reported that the tech giant is cutting equity awards for the majority of its employees. Stock options for staff at the social media giant will see a cut of around 10% for 2025.
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