The major U.S. index futures are currently pointing to a roughly flat open on Monday, with stocks likely to show a lack of direction following the considerable volatility seen to close out the previous week.
A lack of major U.S. economic data may keep some traders on the sidelines ahead of the release of closely watched inflation data later in the week.
Some investors may also be away from their desks as they travel to other parts of the country to get a better view of today’s total solar eclipse.
The Labor Department is scheduled to release its reports on consumer and producer inflation in the month of March on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
Economists currently expect consumer prices to rise by 0.3 percent in March following a 0.4 percent increase in February.
Core consumer prices, which exclude food and energy prices, are also expected to climb by 0.3 percent in March after rising by 0.4 percent in February.
The annual rate of consumer price growth is expected to accelerate to 3.4 percent in March from 3.2 percent in February, while the annual rate of core consumer price growth is expected to slow to 3.7 percent for 3.8 percent.
Producer prices are expected to rise by 0.3 percent in March after climbing by 0.6 percent in February, while the annual rate of producer growth is expected to jump to 2.3 percent from 1.6 percent.
The inflation data could have a significant impact on the outlook for interest rates, as Federal Reserve officials have repeatedly said they need greater confidence inflation is slowing before cutting rates.
Wednesday will also see the release of the minutes of the Fed’s latest monetary policy meeting, which could also shed additional light on officials’ thinking on rates.
Following the sell-off seen late in Thursday’s session, stocks showed a significant move back to the upside during trading on Friday. The major averages all moved notably higher, largely offsetting Thursday’s steep losses.
The major averages finished the day off their highs of the session but still firmly in positive territory. The Nasdaq surged 199.44 points or 1.2 percent to 16,248.52, the S&P 500 jumped 57.13 points or 1.1 percent to 5,204.34 and the Dow advanced 307.06 points or 0.8 percent to 38,904.04.
Despite the rebound on the day, the major averages all moved lower for the week. The Dow plunged by 2.3 percent, while the S&P 500 slumped by 1.0 percent and the Nasdaq slid by 0.8 percent.
The rebound on the day came as traders looked to pick up stocks at relatively reduced levels following the steep drop seen during Thursday’s session, which dragged the Dow down to its lowest closing level in a month.
Traders also reacted positively to a closely watched Labor Department report showing much stronger than expected job growth in the month of March.
The Labor Department said non-farm payroll employment spiked by 303,000 jobs in March after surging by a downwardly revised 270,000 jobs in February.
Economists had expected employment to jump by 200,000 jobs compared to the addition of 275,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month.
The report also said the unemployment rate edged down to 3.8 percent in March from 3.9 percent in February, while economists had expected the unemployment rate to come in unchanged.
While the stronger than expected job growth may have added to recent concerns about the outlook for interest rates, the report also showed a continued slowdown in the annual rate of wage growth.
The Labor Department said the annual rate of wage growth slowed to 4.1 percent in March from 4.3 percent in February, in line with estimates.
“While wages are growing solidly, their growth rate has moderated to the least since mid-2021,” said Bill Adams, Chief Economist for Comerica Bank. “The economy-wide slowdown in inflationary pressures is extending to labor costs.”
“The Fed will be glad to see wage growth normalizing,” he added. “This jobs report will make the Fed more confident that inflation is moderating; they say more confidence on this point is a precondition for making rate cuts this year.”
Gold stocks moved sharply higher following the pullback seen on Thursday, driving the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index up by 3.3 percent to its best closing level in well over ten months.
The rebound by gold stocks came amid a substantial increase by the price of the precious metal, with gold for June delivery surging $36.90 to $2,345.40 an ounce.
Significant strength was also visible among retail stocks, as reflected by the 1.7 percent gain being posted by the Dow Jones U.S. Retail Index.
Software, semiconductor and housing stocks also saw considerable strength on the day, moving higher along with most of the other major sectors.