U.S. stock futures showed little movement Thursday as investors awaited a series of important economic indicators, trying to gauge the likely direction of Federal Reserve interest rate policy. Accenture and Jabil are scheduled to release earnings before the opening bell, while President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to sign an executive order related to a potential deal involving TikTok’s U.S. operations.
Futures steady
By 03:44 ET, futures linked to the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 were largely flat, following a pullback in equities during Wednesday’s session. Wall Street averages had retreated slightly as investors digested remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who offered no clear signal on the path for interest rates after last week’s 25-basis point cut.
Market participants also processed robust U.S. single-family home sales data for August, which some analysts interpret as a sign of an economy that may require less monetary support. Attention now turns to a key inflation reading on Friday, closely monitored by the Fed.
Shares of Micron (NASDAQ:MU) fell 2.8% despite reporting solid quarterly results and strong guidance. Observers noted that the decline reflects concerns about AI-driven valuation spikes in the technology sector.
Accenture earnings in focus
Accenture (NYSE:CAN) is among the pre-market corporate reporting highlights. The consultancy is expected to post fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $3.00 on revenue of $17.36 billion, with guidance for the current quarter’s revenue at $18.46 billion, according to Bloomberg consensus estimates.
A key focus will be Accenture’s perspective on AI, as the firm has prioritized consulting on the technology to offset economic uncertainty from U.S. tariffs. Generative AI bookings reached roughly $1.5 billion last quarter, while total bookings—a measure of future secured revenue—stood at $19.70 billion.
CFO Angie Park said in June that slowing government spending would reduce fiscal fourth-quarter and annual revenue by about 2%.
Jabil earnings ahead
Electronics manufacturer Jabil (NYSE:JBL) is also scheduled to report pre-market results. The Florida-based Apple supplier has surged over 57% year-to-date, driven by strong demand for data center infrastructure and AI-related services.
Earlier this year, Jabil announced plans to invest $500 million in U.S. operations over the next several years to support cloud and AI infrastructure clients. Bloomberg estimates forecast fourth-quarter core EPS at $2.92 and net revenue at $7.58 billion.
TikTok deal executive order
Separately, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday affirming that a deal being negotiated for TikTok’s U.S. operations meets the requirements of a 2024 law, Reuters reported.
The order reportedly extends the deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to divest its U.S. assets or face a shutdown. Trump has delayed enforcing the law to allow time for U.S. investors and ensure compliance. Reports suggest the agreement will give U.S. investors—including Susquehanna International, Oracle, and Silver Lake—around 80% ownership of TikTok U.S., while the algorithm would be retrained but the app remains operational.
Gold steady
Gold prices remained largely unchanged, supported by a slightly weaker dollar, as investors awaited additional U.S. economic data this week. Lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets like gold, enhancing its appeal.
Weekly jobless claims, expected later Thursday, are forecast at 230,000. The second estimate of second-quarter GDP is also due Thursday. The Fed’s preferred inflation measure, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index for August, is projected to rise 0.2% month-on-month.
Spot gold last rose 0.4% to $3,750.99 an ounce by 03:43 ET, after slipping from Tuesday’s record of $3,790.82/oz. U.S. December gold futures edged up 0.3% to $3,780.80.
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