(Editor’s note: The future prices of benchmark tracking ETFs, economic data and the headline were updated in the story.)
U.S. stock futures were mixed on Friday, as the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 fell, and the Dow Jones index gained, following a mixed close on Thursday.
Investors digested the latest labor data as U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 172,000 in May, matching April’s steady hiring pace, while the unemployment rate held flat at 4.3%.
Wage growth showed modest acceleration, with average hourly earnings ticking up 0.3% ($0.12) to $37.53 for the month, pushing the year-over-year increase to 3.4%.
Following an Oval Office coal policy announcement, President Donald Trump stated he would consider meeting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei if diplomacy progresses.
“If we make a deal, it’s possible that I would meet,” Trump said. “I’d be okay with that.” His comments come amid mixed signals from negotiations as the U.S.-Iran conflict enters its fourth month under a fragile ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.46%, and the two-year bond was at 4.03%. The CME Group's FedWatch tool‘s projections show markets pricing a 96.4% likelihood of the Federal Reserve leaving the current interest rates unchanged during June’s meeting.
| Index | Performance (+/-) |
| Dow Jones | 0.06% |
| S&P 500 | -0.53% |
| Nasdaq 100 | -1.09% |
| Russell 2000 | -0.63% |
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, respectively, were lower in premarket on Friday. The SPY was down 0.53% at $753.09, while the QQQ declined by 1.27% to $731.18.
Stocks In Focus
Lululemon Athletica
- Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) dropped 11.82% in premarket on Friday after the company reported its first-quarter revenue ahead of expectations but missed the earnings estimates and announced disappointing guidance.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that LULU maintains a weak price trend in the long, medium, and short terms, with a solid value score.
Docusign
- Docusign Inc. (NASDAQ:DOCU) tumbled 4.73% after it reported in-line guidance, despite reporting its first-quarter fiscal 2027 results higher than expected.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that DOCU maintains a strong price trend in the short and medium terms but a weak trend in the long term, with a good growth score.
Samsara
- Samsara Inc. (NYSE:IOT) declined by 5.14% despite beating first-quarter earnings, as its revenue guidance for the second quarter was below Wall Street’s expectations.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that IOT maintains a strong price trend in the long, short and medium terms.
Keel Infrastructure
- Keel Infrastructure Corp. (NASDAQ:KEEL) fell by 8.94% after announcing a proposed offering of $350 million of convertible senior notes.
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that KEEL maintains a strong price trend in the long, medium, and short terms.
Merlin
- Merlin Inc. (NASDAQ:MRLN) jumped 24.97% following the successful completion of the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the company’s C-130J autonomy program, a joint development initiative with the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
- Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that MRLN maintains a weak price trend in the short, long, and medium terms.
Cues From Last Session
Sectors on the S&P 500 closed mostly higher, with health care, financials, and communication services stocks recording the biggest gains on Thursday, while information technology and consumer staples stocks closed the session lower.
| Index | Performance (+/-) | Value |
| Dow Jones | 1.73% | 51,561.93 |
| S&P 500 | 0.41% | 7,584.31 |
| Nasdaq Composite | -0.086% | 26,830.96 |
| Russell 2000 | 1.45% | 2,935.33 |
Insights From Analysts
Scott Wren, Senior Global Market Strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, warned that a “performance roller coaster ride” is underway across the U.S. stock market and economy. Triggered by U.S. military action against Iran, extreme volatility has gripped stocks, oil prices, and Treasury yields.
Wren highlights that while the S&P 500 continuously hits record highs, intense “churn” persists beneath the surface. A prime example is the Information Technology sector, which surged 45.2% in the second quarter after a poor first-quarter showing.
On the economic front, supply restrictions threaten to worsen global crude shortages by summer. Consequently, Wren cautions that “the longer the diplomatic impasse is drawn out over the next month or two, the more persistent U.S. and global inflation should be.”
Failing negotiations could also push the 10-year Treasury yield significantly higher than its current 4.45%.
Even if a peace agreement is reached immediately, Wren believes “inflation figures to be part of the outlook for the rest of the year.” To navigate this environment, he advises investors to target sectors capable of passing higher input costs to customers, favoring Utilities, Industrials, Financials, and Aerospace & Defense.
Upcoming Economic Data
Here's what investors will be keeping an eye on Friday.
- U.S. Payrolls & Unemployment: Nonfarm payroll employment grew by 172,000 jobs in May, while the national unemployment rate remained completely unchanged at 4.3%.
- Hourly Wages: Average hourly earnings for all private nonfarm employees rose by 0.3% (+$0.12) to $37.53 in May, bringing the year-over-year wage growth rate to 3.4%.
- April’s consumer credit report will be released by 3:00 p.m. ET.
- On Saturday, Federal Reserve governor Michael Barr will speak at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Commodities, Crypto, And Global Equity Markets
Crude oil futures were trading lower in the early New York session by 0.27% to hover around $92.79 per barrel.
Gold Spot US Dollar fell 0.28% to hover around $4,463.03 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $5,595.46 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.17% lower at the 99.2430 level.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was trading 1.71% lower at $62,433.41 per coin, as per the last 24 hours.
Asian markets closed lower on Friday, as Hong Kong's Hang Seng, India’s Nifty 50, Japan's Nikkei 225, Australia's ASX 200, South Korea's Kospi, and China’s CSI 300 indices fell. European markets were mixed in early trade.
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