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US Equity Futures Mostly Flat Pre-Bell as Traders Await Fed Chair's Keynote Speech

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US equity futures were mostly flat pre-bell Friday as traders awaited a highly anticipated keynote speech from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh.

Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 futures were flat, while Nasdaq futures were 0.2% lower.

Warsh is slated to speak at 10 am ET at the central bank's annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and traders will be looking for signals on where interest rates could go next.

President Donald Trump on Thursday told reporters that the US is not talking to Iran. The US has turned to elevated economic pressure to force a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and threatened Iran's trading partners. Iran's foreign ministry, in a letter published on Telegram, urged other countries not to implement US sanctions against it, calling the measures illegal.

Oil prices were lower, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude down 0.4% at $88.19 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 0.5% lower at $83.13 per barrel.

The Chicago purchasing managers index for August, due at 9:45 am ET, is seen coming in at 57.9, up from its prior value of 57.6, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

The final University of Michigan consumer sentiment report for August, scheduled at 10 am ET, is expected to show consumer sentiment index coming in at 51.0, unchanged from the prior period.

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US Equity Markets End Higher After Technology Sector Gains Following Nvidia Results

US equity indexes ended higher Thursday after the technology sector saw gains led by Nvidia's (NVDA) Q2 results.* Nvidia shares were up about 8.7%, among the top gainers across all three main indexes, after fiscal Q2 earnings and revenue more than doubled from a year earlier, and Q3 sales outlook beat estimates.* Qatar's foreign ministry said it is in discussions with Iran over an agreement to implement a "joint project" to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz as well as "efforts to reduce escalation and create appropriate conditions for dialogue," Al Jazeera reported.* US initial jobless claims fell to 203,000 in the week ended Aug. 22 from an upwardly revised 207,000 in the previous week, in contrast with expectations for an increase to 208,000 in a survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.* October West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $1.44 to settle at $83.67 per barrel, while October Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $1.90 at $89.74.* Salesforce (CRM) shares were up roughly 23%, the top gainer on the S&P 500 and the Dow, after the company reported higher fiscal Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue, and lifted its fiscal 2027 outlook.* Hormel Foods (HRL) shares were down nearly 10%, the worst performer on the S&P 500, after the company lowered its fiscal 2026 sales outlook and reported mixed Q3 results with sales falling amid soft consumer demand.

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Update: Technology Pushes US Equity Indexes Higher Following Nvidia's Blockbuster Guidance

(Updates with index/price moves and geopolitical news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes advanced after Nvidia's (NVDA) strong fiscal Q2 results boosted mega-caps in the technology sector.The Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.3% to 26,466.9, the S&P 500 climbed 0.6% to 7,719.3, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1% to 53,542.5 ahead of Thursday's close. All sectors, except technology, declined. Consumer staples and consumer discretionary were among the worst performers.Shares of Nvidia jumped past 8%, among the top gainers across all three mainstream indexes, after fiscal Q2 earnings and revenue more than doubled from a year earlier and Q3 sales outlook beat estimates. Nvidia offered a surprisingly strong fiscal 2028 revenue outlook, while its gross margin guidance provided clarity amid rising memory costs, Morgan Stanley said in a note.Salesforce (CRM) surged 23%, the leader on the S&P 500 and the Dow, after the company posted higher fiscal Q2 adjusted earnings and sales, and lifted fiscal 2027 guidance.CrowdStrike (CRWD) soared 20%, one of the biggest gainers in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, after the company reported higher fiscal Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue, and raised its full-year net new annual recurring revenue outlook. This is a "blowout quarter as AI demand inflects across the platform," according to a Truist Securities note.Qatar's foreign ministry said Iran and Doha discussed an agreement to implement a "joint project" to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz as well as "efforts to reduce escalation and create appropriate conditions for dialogue," according to a report from Al Jazeera, a Middle Eastern broadcaster.Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, said the "US must first take practical steps to fulfil Iran's conditions, and then Iran will proceed to open the Strait of Hormuz", Al Jazeera cited a report from the Islamic Republic News Agency. The former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander reiterated previous pledges by Tehran that if Washington "starts any evil", Iran would "bring disaster to its military and economic interests".The front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil contract climbed 2.1% to $83.93 per barrel, and global benchmark North Sea Brent jumped 2.6% to $90.11 per barrel.

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Update: Technology Lifts US Equity Indexes After Nvidia's Blowout Quarterly Results

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