Stock index futures decline amid economic uncertainty

Stock index futures declined on Friday amid uncertainty over the world’s most significant economic outlook, trading data showed.

Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) fell 0.09% to 34716 points, on the NASDAQ high-tech index – by 0.18% to 15490 points, on the broad market S&P 500 index – by 0.25%, to 4463 pips.

Traders closely monitor internal macroeconomic data to gauge the outlook for the economy. However, statistics do not help the markets to come to a consensus. So, on Thursday, the country’s labor ministry said that the number of initial applications for unemployment benefits in the United States over the previous week grew more robust than expected. At the same time, retail sales in August showed dynamics better than forecasted.

Investors are now awaiting data on the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, which reflects the degree of household confidence in the US economy. Analysts believe that the indicator, according to preliminary estimates, rose to 72 points in September from 70.3 points in August.

This week tells us that there will be an unstable normalization for the foreseeable future. All this mixed data means some uncertainty, Allianz chief economist Ludovic Subran said the Wall Street Journal. Against this background, the expert does not exclude the return of volatility in the markets.