Traders work at the New York Stock Exchange on March 27, 2025.
NYSE
U.S. stock futures inched higher early Friday as investors grappled with ongoing tariff uncertainty and awaited the release of a key inflation measure.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures added 44 points, or 0.10%. S&P 500 futures and the Nasdaq 100 futures traded flat.
In extended trading, Lululemon shares tumbled 10% after the athleisure company issued a weaker-than-expected outlook for the first quarter and 2025.
Wall Street is coming off a losing session for the major averages. On Thursday, the 30-stock Dow fell about 155 points, or 0.4%. The S&P 500 slid 0.3%, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.5%.
Those moves come after President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on “all cars that are not made in the United States,” the latest tariff development to roil the market. Investors — concerned that rising signs of weakening consumer sentiment are heightening the risk of a slowdown — are hoping April 2 will bring some much-needed clarity.
“I don’t expect that market volatility is going to calm until we have more policy [certainty]. And a lot of us are looking to see if we get that next week,” New York Life Investments’ chief market strategist Lauren Goodwin said on CNBC on Thursday. “I’m not really seeing it. I anticipate that this volatility is here to stay with us.”
On the economic front, February’s personal consumption expenditures price index due Friday could confirm whether investors should be concerned about sticky inflation, especially after the Federal Reserve recently raised its inflation forecast. Economists polled by Dow Jones see the headline PCE price index reading rising 0.3% in February and 2.5% from 12 months earlier.
As of Thursday’s close, Wall Street was headed for a second straight week of gains. The Dow is on track for a 0.8% advance week to date. The S&P 500 is up 0.5% for the period, while the Nasdaq Composite is on pace for a 0.1% gain.
