US pre-open: Futures edge higher as attention turns to Nvidia, jobs data

(Sharecast News) - US stock futures were pointing mostly higher on Monday morning, with the Nasdaq set to rebound following a tech-fuelled sell-off last week, as investors look ahead to earnings from heavyweight Nvidia and delayed labour-market data over the coming days. Futures on the S&P 500 were up 0.2% following a 1.1% decline over the past five days, while Nasdaq futures were up 0.4% after the index dropped 2.4% last week.

The Dow, however, was showing a 0.1% loss in pre-market activity after a flat performance last week as the benchmark pulled back from a series of record-high closes.

Nvidia's third-quarter results are out on Wednesday. Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown, noted that, for the first time in several quarters, the company is entering earnings with sentiment under pressure.

"Shares have softened on concerns of an AI bubble and the reality that China sales are unlikely to rebound soon. Still, the underlying picture remains strong, with third-quarter revenue expected near the top end of guidance at around $55bn - and scope for an upside surprise," Nathan said in an email late last week.

Attention will also turn to guidance for the fourth quarter and any colour in 2026, with chief executive Jensen Huang having recently flagged $500bn of orders. "Investors will be keen for clarity on timing, which could imply material upside to current forecasts. With plenty of nervousness in the air, strong results from Nvidia could be the perfect catalyst to reignite the AI flame," Nathan said.

Markets will also finally get to see some key US economic data this week - following the data blackout caused by the government shutdown since early October - with the release of September's jobs report on Thursday. October's figures, however, are unlikely to ever be published due to insufficient data-gathering during the shutdown, the White House confirmed last week.

"Early estimates put the payrolls figure around 50k, rising from the August reading of 22k. From a market perspective, there is likely to be a 'bad news is good news' reaction, as traders hope to see the Fed shift onto a more proactive mindset once again," said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.