Market Snapshot

U.S. stock futures remained mostly unchanged on Friday, concluding a week of sharp ups and downs in the financial markets and signaling a challenging November for investors.

• Nasdaq 100 futures edged up by 0.1%.
• S&P 500 futures hovered near zero.
• Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose about 0.2%.

The lack of momentum comes as the S&P 500 is heading toward its worst November performance since 2008, weighed down by growing anxiety over a possible artificial intelligence–driven market bubble. Recent strong earnings from Nvidia and reassuring comments from CEO Jensen Huang did little to ease these concerns.

Tech & Semiconductors Under Pressure

On Thursday, stocks saw a dramatic reversal, closing sharply lower after an upbeat opening. Nvidia’s shares, despite showing gains earlier in the session, finished down more than 2%. Other major semiconductor and technology stocks followed suit as the Nasdaq Composite wiped out earlier gains, ending nearly 2% lower. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices are now at their lowest points since September.

Crypto Check

Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market continues to struggle. Bitcoin fell to around $84,000 on Friday after dropping below $87,000 the previous day, furthering its decline from record-high levels just over a month ago.

Jobs Data & Fed Outlook

Part of Thursday’s market turbulence was fueled by the release of the much-delayed September jobs report. The data showed stronger than expected hiring, but the unemployment rate climbed to its highest mark in nearly four years. The mixed figures did little to influence the divided Federal Reserve, with most analysts now expecting the central bank to keep rates steady at its next meeting.

Weekly & Monthly Scorecard

• For the week: S&P 500 set to fall by more than 2%.
• For the week: Nasdaq on track for a decline of over 3%.
• Month-to-date: S&P 500 down about 4%.
• Month-to-date: Nasdaq lower by more than 6%.

What to Watch Today

Looking ahead to Friday’s session, investors await:

• The University of Michigan’s final reading of November consumer confidence, which recently approached a three-year low in preliminary data.
• Remarks from several Federal Reserve officials that could offer hints on future interest rate decisions.

Bottom Line

With uncertainty surrounding technology stocks, economic data, and monetary policy, Wall Street faces continued volatility as it closes out the week.