Market Snapshot: Nasdaq-100 futures slide over 1% as rising bond yields rise spook investors again

United States

U.S. stock futures tumbled on Wednesday, with notable pressure ahead for the technology sector and rising bond yields in focus, while investors also waited for private-sector payrolls data.

How are stock-index futures trading?
  • Dow Jones Industrial Average futures YM00, -1.04% fell over 300 points, or 1%, to 33,833
  • S&P 500 futures ES00, -1.22% dropped 1.2% to 4,280
  • Nasdaq-100 futures NQ00, -1.40% dropped 1.4% to 14,444

On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.92% rose 312 points, or 0.92%, to 34315, the S&P 500 SPX, +1.05% increased 45 points, or 1.05%, to 4346, and the Nasdaq Composite COMP, +1.25% gained 178 points, or 1.25%, to 14434.

What’s driving the market?

Rising bond yields were set to derail chances of any follow-up to Tuesday’s gains. Some investors were seeking haven in the U.S. dollar DXY, +0.50%, which rose as the yield on the 10-year Treasury note TMUBMUSD10Y, 1.544% gained 2 basis points to 1.544%. European and most Asian stocks fell.

The combined effect of rising yields and a global energy crunch that seems to be approaching the U.S. is triggering “more negative sentiment,” said Saxo Bank’s chief investment officer, Steen Jakobsen, in a note to clients.

“Yesterday’s session failed to take out the previous day’s high, so if the energy crunch narrative builds today with yields extending their rise, then we could see a renewed selloff,” said Jakobsen.

U.S. natural-gas futures NGX21, +0.84% rose 1.3% $ 6.312 per million British thermal units. after the highest finish since 2008 on Tuesday. Natural-gas prices tapped fresh records on Wednesday in the U.K. and Europe.

Technology stocks looked set to lead any selloff, as rising yields can be a negative for shares of fast-growing companies as they make those future cash flows appear less valuable. 

Read: Analyst forecasts tech stock rebound of at least 10% and says rate fears will soon pass

Economic data will swing into focus for investors, with the ADP employment report for September due at 8:15 a.m. Eastern Time. “The next big announcement on the radar is the U.S. jobs report on Friday — a weak number could prompt concern that we are heading for the dreaded stagflation scenario,” said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould, in a note to clients.

What companies are in focus?
  • Shares of Palantir Technologies Inc. PLTR, +0.17% jumped 10% in premarket trading, after the data-software company said it won an Army contract worth $ 823 million.
How are other assets trading?
  • Oil futures fell, with the U.S. benchmark CL00, -0.44% down 0.5% to $ 78.52 a barrel. Gold futures GC00, -0.68% dropped 0.8% to $ 1,747.60 an ounce.
  • In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 SXXP, -1.97% fell 1.8%, while London’s FTSE 100 UKX, -1.79% dropped 1.5%.
  • The Hang Seng Index HSI, -0.57% closed down 0.5% in Hong Kong, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 NIK, -1.05% dropped 1%. Markets in China remain closed for a holiday.