A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange on April 21, 2025.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
Stock futures rose Monday night following a rough day on Wall Street, as President Donald Trump’s latest criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell drove up uncertainty.
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 122 points, or 0.3%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures gained about 0.4%.
Monday night’s action comes on the heels of a sharp sell-off. The Dow dropped more than 970 points in the regular session, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both slid more than 2%. Monday marked the fourth straight losing session for the Dow and Nasdaq.
Investors grew increasingly uncertain after Trump posted on Truth Social that the economy would slow if the Fed did not cut interest rates. In the latest of multiple recent posts calling out Powell by name, he called the Fed chief “Mr. Too Late” and a “major loser.”
Trump hinted at Powell’s “termination” last week, an unprecedented action that White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett said the president’s team was currently studying. Powell has said he cannot be fired under law and intends to serve through the end of his term in May 2026.
Monday’s steep sell-off comes amid a turbulent period for stocks since Trump’s initial announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs rocked financial markets. The three major indexes have all tumbled more than 9% since Trump first unveiled his plan for levies on April 2.
“There’s just so much uncertainty right now with the tariff cycle and with the economy,” said Larry Tentarelli, founder of the Blue Chip Daily Trend Report. “Adding one more layer of uncertainty with Jerome Powell just adds more volatility to the markets overall.”
Investors will watch Tuesday morning for manufacturing survey results from the Richmond Fed. Several Fed officials including Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari and Fed Governor Adriana Kugler are expected to give speeches throughout the day.
On the earnings front, Lockheed Martin reports before the bell. Traders will then turn attention to Tesla‘s closely followed quarterly financial release expected after the market closes.