US Futures Markets Stable After Record S&P and Nasdaq Closures

US stock futures are stable after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs. Investors are awaiting clarity on trade negotiations as the August 1 deadline approaches for the US to finalize agreements with Washington. The Dow E-minis rose 0.1%, S&P 500 E-minis increased 0.09%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis fell 0.02%. The Dow, rich in blue-chips, lost 0.7% yesterday but remains near its all-time high.

US stock futures were largely stable on Friday, July 2, 2025, as investors took a breather following record-closing performances for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq on Thursday. The Dow E-minis (YMcv1) rose 0.14%, the S&P 500 E-minis (ES1!) increased 0.09%, and the Nasdaq 100 E-minis (NQ1!) fell 0.01% [2]. This stability came as investors awaited clarity on trade negotiations ahead of the August 1 deadline for tariff agreements [5].

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI), rich in blue-chip stocks, lost 0.7% on Thursday but remained close to its all-time high [1]. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) both closed at new record highs, driven by upbeat second-quarter earnings and recent trade deals between the United States and its trading partners, including Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines [3]. An agreement with the European Union was in the pipeline, while talks with South Korea were underway, with investors hoping to avoid steep U.S. import levies.

Notable earnings reports included Alphabet (GOOG), which beat Wall Street expectations and doubled down on its AI spending spree, and Tesla (TSLA), which saw its stock sink after an earnings miss and a warning from CEO Elon Musk about rough quarters ahead [3]. Intel (INTC) also dropped 6% in premarket trading after forecasting steeper third-quarter losses than Wall Street had estimated and announcing plans to slash jobs [2].

The U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting next week is expected to be a key focus for investors. The CME FedWatch tool indicates a 58.6% chance of a reduction in September, as broader market bets point to a "hold" verdict by policymakers [2]. President Donald Trump visited the Federal Reserve's headquarters to criticize its $2.5-billion renovation project, marking another escalation in his efforts to pressure the Fed into cutting interest rates [2].

In other news, Newmont (NEM) added 2% after surpassing Wall Street expectations for second-quarter profit, and Paramount Global (PARA) rose 2% after U.S. regulators approved its $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media [2].

References:
[1] https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2025/07/1250393/us-stock-futures-largely-steady-after-record-run-sp-500-nasdaq
[2] https://www.tradingview.com/news/reuters.com,2025:newsml_L4N3TM0OI:0-us-stock-futures-pause-after-record-s-p-500-nasdaq-run/
[3] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live/stock-market-today-sp-500-notches-4th-consecutive-record-as-google-earnings-fuel-ai-hopes-200143030.html
[5] https://abcnews.go.com/Business/trumps-aug-1-tariff-deadline/story?id=123921765