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Stock futures held steady Thursday night following the S&P 500’s four-day rally driven by U.S.-China tariff reductions and positive inflation data. Major index futures showed minimal movement: Dow futures up 0.1%, S&P 500 futures up 0.03%, and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.04%.
Markets rallied after the U.S.-China 90-day tariff truce announcement eased trade tension concerns.
April’s inflation data supported market gains, with wholesale prices down 0.5% and CPI at 2.3%, the lowest since February 2021.
Tech stocks led the surge, with Nvidia and Tesla up 15%, and Meta and Amazon gaining 8% and 6%. The S&P 500 rose 4.5%, Dow 2%, and Nasdaq 6.6% this week.
Despite market optimism, some companies like Walmart warn of tariff-related price increases, signaling potential economic concerns. Friday’s focus turns to housing starts and consumer sentiment data.
Japan’s economy contracted 0.2% in Q1 2025, worse than the expected 0.1% decline, with exports falling 0.6%. While domestic demand grew 0.6%, the annualized GDP fell 0.7%. Year-on-year GDP showed 1.7% growth, the highest since Q1 2023.
The decline comes amid U.S. trade negotiations, with experts noting strong domestic performance but export weakness. China’s competitive machinery exports have overshadowed Japan’s weak yen advantage.
Reports show minimal U.S. tariff impact but trade policy risks are still in play. The government pledges support for affected firms, while noting potential risks from price hikes despite improving employment.
Asia-Pacific markets were mixed Friday amid Japan’s GDP data and other regional economic updates.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.23% and Topix rose 0.12% after Japan’s economy contracted 0.2% in Q1, exceeding the expected 0.1% drop. This comes during ongoing U.S.-Japan trade talks, which remain inconclusive.
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