U.S. equity futures showed minimal changes ahead of Friday's opening as traders looked for new insights following Donald Trump's victory in the presidential race. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures made slight gains, while S&P 500 futures dipped slightly, and Nasdaq futures decreased by 0.2%. Earlier this week, major indices experienced a surge after Trump triumphed over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. On Thursday, the Federal Open Market Committee reduced its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points, setting a new range of 4.5% to 4.75%, aligning with estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Oil prices also saw a decline; the global benchmark North Sea Brent crude fell by 1.1% to $74.81 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude dropped by 1.4% to $71.36 per barrel. Consumer sentiment data, set for release at 10 am ET, is projected at 71.0 for November, an increase from October's 70.5 reading. In global markets, Japan's Nikkei index closed 0.3% higher, in contrast to Hong Kong's Hang Seng which ended 1.1% lower, and China's Shanghai Composite that dropped by 0.5%.
The UK's FTSE 100 fell 0.6%, while Germany's DAX index decreased by 0.7% during Europe’s early afternoon trading session. On the equity front, Sony ($SONY) shares surged 7% in pre-market trading after reporting increased fiscal Q2 earnings and revenue and updated its revenue guidance for fiscal 2025 upwards.
Five9 ($FIVN) stocks climbed 24% following the report of higher Q3 adjusted earnings and revenue. Conversely, Fluor ($FLR) stocks fell 11% after posting lower Q3 adjusted earnings, and Maravai LifeSciences ($MRVI) experienced a dramatic 35% drop after announcing disappointing Q3 financial results..