Futures lower, JOLTS ahead, Nvidia gets subpoena - what's moving markets

Investing.com -- US futures dip following a downbeat day to kick off September for Wall Street. Technology names, in particular artificial intelligence focal point Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), saw their share prices slump sharply. Nvidia's stock price further dropped in after-hours trading following a report that US regulators had issued a subpoena to the company as part of a deepening investigation into possible antitrust practices.

1. Futures lower

US stock futures edged lower on Wednesday, suggesting an extension to declines on Wall Street posted in the prior session.

By 03:34 ET (07:34 GMT), the Dow futures contract had fallen 80 points or 0.2%, S&P 500 futures had slipped by 23 points or 0.4%, and Nasdaq 100 futures had lost 127 points or 0.7%.

The main averages slumped on Tuesday, in a negative start to dealmaking in September following a turbulent August. Historically, September has been one of the worst months for stocks, while traders are eyeing impending job market data that is expected to factor into the magnitude of a potential upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate cut.

Sentiment was also dented by weaker-than-expected results from the Institute for Supply Management's monthly measure of US manufacturing activity, stoking fears of a slowdown in the world's largest economy.

The benchmark S&P 500, 30-stock Dow Jones Industrial Average, and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite all recorded their biggest daily percentage fall since August. The so-called Magnificent Seven tech giants dropped, including artificial intelligence-darling Nvidia, which decreased by almost 10% and shed a record $279 billion in market capitalization.

2. JOLTS ahead

Investors will have the chance to peek into the state of the US labor market on Wednesday with the release of key job openings figures.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, which economists consider to be a proxy for broader labor demand, is tipped to show that the number of available roles decreased in July to 8.090 million. In June, the number inched down modestly to 8.184 million.

It will serve as a precursor to the publication of the much-anticipated nonfarm payrolls report due out on Friday. The data will likely play into how Fed Chair Jerome Powell approaches an expected shift away from a focus on taming inflation to preparations aimed at guarding against job losses. Powell said in August that the "time has come" to adjust monetary policy due to potential "downside risks" facing the US jobs picture.

According to the CME's closely-monitored FedWatch Tool, analysts are all but convinced the Fed will roll out a 25-basis point reduction in borrowing costs at the central bank's upcoming two-day gathering from Sept. 17-18. Interest rates currently stand at a 23-year high of 5.25% to 5.5%.

3. DoJ sends subpoena to Nvidia - Bloomberg News

The U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly sent a subpoena to Nvidia as part of a deepening probe into possible antitrust practices at the AI titan, according to Bloomberg News.

Shares in Nvidia were down by 2.4% in extended hours trading in the wake of the report.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg said the DoJ is worried Nvidia is making it harder for customers to change suppliers and penalizes those who do not exclusively use its AI-optimized processors.

According to a spokesperson for the company quoted by Reuters, Nvidia has said its buyers can "choose whatever solution is best for them," adding that its recent blockbuster results demonstrates that the business "wins by merit."

The DoJ first launched an investigation in potential competition concerns at Nvidia following complaints from the group's rivals, the Information reported last month.

4. Nippon Steel vows US Steel will be managed by Americans

Japan's Nippon Steel has said the core senior management and the majority of board members at US Steel would be Americans if its planned $14.9 billion purchase of the US firm goes ahead.

Nippon Steel added that US Steel would be owned by its New York-based unit Nippon Steel North America, noting that the business has been in operation in America for more than half a century.

The comments come after US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris flagged concerns over the deal at a campaign event. Harris argued that US Steel "should remain American-owned and American-operated," echoing similar worries voiced by US President Joe Biden.

5. Crude retreats

Crude prices slipped lower Wednesday, adding to the previous session’s selloff, amid growth concerns and expectations that Libyan exports could reenter the market.

By 03:35 ET, the Brent contract dropped 1.3% to $72.81 per barrel, while U.S. crude futures (WTI) traded 1.3% lower at $69.41 a barrel, after both contracts dropped more than 4% on Tuesday.

Both contracts fell to their lowest since December on signs of a deal to resolve the political dispute between rival factions in Libya that cut output by about half and curbed exports.

This article first appeared in Investing.com