Stock futures were mixed Friday morning after the release of closely watched employment data, as the market looks to cap off a volatile week on a high note.
Futures tied the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.1% in recent trading, while those linked to the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 0.1% and 0.3%, respectively. Stocks fell sharply Thursday—putting major indexes on pace for their worst week of 2025—amid ongoing uncertainty about President Trump’s tariff policies and broader concerns about the health of the U.S. economy.
The February jobs report from the Labor Department showed that U.S. employers added slightly fewer jobs than economists had expected while the unemployment rate inched up to 4.1%. Investors are watching data closely as they look for indications that the economy remains on sound footing and for information that could affect the Federal Reserve’s decision-making on interest rates
The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which tends to fall when concerns about the economy rise, was at 4.23% this morning, down from 4.28% at yesterday’s close. The yield, which affects borrowing costs on all sorts of loans, notably mortgages, fell as low as 4.11% earlier this week, its lowest level since October.
Among stocks on the move in premarket trading, chipmaking giant Broadcom (AVGO) was the big gainer, rising more than 8% after reporting better-than-expected quarterly results fueled by booming AI-related demand. The stock fell more than 6% yesterday amid a broader sell-off in semiconductor stocks as the AI trade continued to falter. AI chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA) was up 1% this morning after falling more than 5% yesterday.
Other mega-cap technology stocks were mixed. Tesla (TSLA) was down about 1%, while Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL) and Meta Platforms (META) fell slightly. Alphabet (GOOG) and Amazon (AMZN) inched higher.
Shares of Costco (COST) were down 2.5% after the membership-based retailer’s earnings came in below Wall Street expectations, while Gap (GAP) shares soared 15% after a better-than-expected quarterly report. Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) shares were up 6.5% after the drugstore chain announced late Thursday it agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners in a $10 billion deal.
Bitcoin was trading at $89,600 recently, up from an overnight low of $84,700. The digital currency fell last night after an executive order from President Trump to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve fell short of the expectations of some investors.
Gold futures were up slightly at around $2,930 an ounce, while West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. crude oil benchmark, rose 1.6% to $67.40. The price of oil touched its lowest level since late 2021 earlier this week amid concerns about slowing economic growth.
Walgreen’s Shares Jump on $10 Billion Deal to be Taken Private
25 minutes ago
Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) shares jumped after the drugstore chain agreed to be taken private in a $10 billion deal with private equity firm Sycamore Partners.
Sycamore said it would pay $11.45 per share for the company, about 8% above Thursday’s closing price. The stock was up 6.5% at $11.29 in recent premarket trading.
Investors could also receive up to $3 more per share in proceeds from the eventual sale of Walgreens’ primary care businesses, the company said, which could raise the value of the deal up to nearly $24 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Walgreens shares rose earlier this year following previous reports of talks to take the drugstore chain private. The deal comes after a tough stretch for Walgreens, which announced in October a plan to shutter some 1,200 “underperforming” stores over the next three years. Its stock had lost about half its value in the past year though Thursday’s close.
Major Indexes on Pace for Worst Week of 2025
54 minutes ago
Heading into Friday’s session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are each on track to post their biggest weekly losses of the year.
The Dow is down 2.9% so far this week, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq have declined 3.6% and 4.1%, respectively.
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So far in 2025, the Dow is just barely clinging to gains, up 0.1%. The S&P 500 is down 2.4% year-to-date, while the Nasdaq has dropped 6.4%.
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Major Stock Index Futures Higher
1 hr 37 min ago
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.1%.
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S&P 500 futures also added 0.1%.
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Nasdaq 100 futures were up 0.2%.
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