Stock Futures Rise Ahead of August Jobs Report as Tech and AI Hopes Buoy Markets
US stock futures edged higher Friday as investors awaited the August jobs report, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq leading gains. Broadcom's bullish outlook and a chipmaking deal with OpenAI fueled AI sector optimism, while Tesla shares climbed on news of Elon Musk's proposed performance-linked compensation.
Market sentiment leans heavily toward a September Fed rate cut, with traders pricing in near-certainty after softening labor data. The jobs report is expected to show just 75,000 new positions and a 4.3% unemployment rate—potential confirmation of cooling conditions that Fed Chair Powell recently called "curious."