US equity futures pointed lower early Tuesday, setting the stage for a cautious return to trading after the long Presidents Day weekend, as investor anxiety over artificial intelligence continued to weigh on sentiment.
Contracts tied to the S&P 500 slipped about 0.3%, while Nasdaq 100 futures dropped roughly 0.6%, reflecting renewed pressure on technology shares. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which has less exposure to high-growth tech companies, edged down around 0.1%.
The muted tone follows a difficult stretch for Wall Street. On Friday, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) notched its fifth consecutive weekly decline — its longest losing streak since 2022. Meanwhile, the Dow (^DJI) and S&P 500 (^GSPC) have fallen in four of the past five weeks, underscoring the broader market’s recent weakness.
Much of the selling pressure has been fueled by mounting concerns about artificial intelligence and the potential for sweeping disruption across industries. Investors are reassessing valuations and business models in sectors ranging from wealth management and transportation to logistics, as questions mount about how rapidly AI could reshape competitive dynamics.
Those worries have overshadowed encouraging inflation data released last week. January’s consumer price index came in cooler than expected, offering some relief that price pressures may be moderating. However, growth concerns and uncertainty around sector-level upheaval have taken precedence in market calculations.
This week’s economic calendar could provide further clarity. Investors are awaiting the release of the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting minutes on Wednesday, followed by Friday’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index — the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge. Attention is also turning to reports that Kevin Warsh, reportedly under consideration as a future Fed chair, may have signed a “loyalty pledge,” raising fresh questions about central bank independence.
On the corporate front, several major companies are set to report earnings in the coming days, including Walmart (WMT), DoorDash (DASH), and Molson Coors (TAP), with results likely to offer additional insight into consumer demand and corporate outlooks amid the shifting economic landscape.
