Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures stall as signs of labor-market cracks boost rate-cut bets

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US stock futures traded flat on Thursday after the release of new data amped up anticipation for Friday's jobs report and boosted bets on a Federal Reserve rate cut this month.

Futures attached to the Dow Jones Industrial Average held near the flat line. Futures attached to the benchmark S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 nudged up 0.2%.

Stocks mostly closed higher on Wednesday after the latest update on jobs openings indicated continued softening in the labor market.

The data left investors feeling even more confident Fed officials will cut rates at their September meeting.

On Thursday, investors will receive additional insight on the labor market with the release of ADP private payrolls and jobless claims.

The updates come ahead of the main event of the week on Friday with the August jobs report. Yahoo Finance reports.

🌨️ Salesforce shares drop as weak revenue forecast signals delayed AI returns:

Salesforce shares dropped nearly 7% before the bell on Thursday, after the cloud software provider's weak third-quarter revenue forecast hinted at delayed returns from its AI investments.

Rising investor bets on AI-driven cloud companies are pressuring them to deliver hefty returns on their billion-dollar investments in the breakthrough technology, but economic uncertainty has forced customers to pull back on spending.

The company forecast third-quarter revenue between $10.24 billion and $10.29 billion, with the midpoint coming in below analysts' average estimate of $10.29 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Reuters reports.


📊 August jobs report expected to show moderate hiring gains:

Economists forecast the August jobs report will show hiring picking back up to a moderate pace of growth, with the unemployment rate staying stable.

Nonfarm payrolls are predicted to have expanded by 110,000, up from 73,000 in July, according to consensus estimates from FactSet. The July report featured significant downward revisions to job growth, with fewer than 20,000 jobs created in both May and June.

“We’re expecting a reacceleration in hiring,” says José Torres, senior economist at Interactive Brokers.

Torres predicts the labor market added a higher-than-consensus 140,000 jobs in August. “A lot of our real-time indicators showed a floor back in July, so we’re expecting job growth [to have] recovered pretty nicely,” he says. MorningStar reports.


🖌️ Figma’s stock plunges after company’s first earnings report since IPO:

Figma shares plunged 14% in extended trading on Wednesday after the design software company reported results for the first time since its initial public offering in July.

Here’s how the company did in comparison with LSEG consensus:

• Earnings per share: Breakeven
• Revenue: $249.6 million vs. $248.8 million expected

Revenue increased 41% year over year in the second quarter from $177.2 million a year earlier, Figma said in a statement.

The company provided a preliminary estimate of $247 million to $250 million in a July regulatory filing. CNBC isn’t including a profit estimate because it’s Figma’s first earnings report. CNBC reports.


🛢️ Exxonmobil exploring sale of European chemical plants, Financial Times says:

ExxonMobil is looking to sell European chemical plants, which could fetch up to $1 billion, as the sector reels from U.S. tariffs and increased competition from China, Financial Times says, citing unnamed sources.

The U.S. petrochemical producer is considering selling plants in the U.K and Belgium and has held early-stage discussions with advisers in recent weeks, according to the Financial Times.

Exxon has also discussed simply shutting the plants down but could opt to hold the assets, Financial Times says. MorningStar reports.


✈️ JetBlue posts smaller-than-expected loss as U.S. demand recovers:

JetBlue Airways on Tuesday posted an adjusted loss for the second quarter that was smaller than Wall Street expectations, helped by cost cutting measures and recovering demand for travel in the U.S.

Shares of the carrier shot up nearly 12% in early morning trading as the company also said it received the green light from the US Department of Transportation to proceed with a partnership with United Airlines. Reuters reports.

(All pricing and percent gains are based on Early Pre-Market from 4:00 AM to 7:00 AM Eastern Time)
Benzinga reports.

1) $BRIA: BrilliA
Total gain: +104.69%

2) $BSLK: Bolt Projects Holdings
Total gain: +73.7%

3) $ZNB: Zeta Network Group
Total gain: +72.26%

4) $NCI: Neo-Concept International
Total gain: +48.88%

5) $AEO: American Eagle Outfitters
Total gain: +25.4%

The closing price of the top three market percent gainers trading near or above $3 on September 3.
Benzinga reports.

*All pricing and percent gains are based on regular market trading hours from 9:30am to 4:00pm Eastern Time

1) $STI: Solidion Technology
Total gain: +114.14%
Solidion Technology Inc. shares jumped nearly 90% on Tuesday after the company announced that its Electrochemical Graphitization in Molten Salts (E-GRIMS) process, developed in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, had received a 2025 R&D 100 Award. Benzinga reports.

2) $AIHS: Senmiao Technology
Total gain: +63.15%
The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

3) $BTBD: BT Brands
Total gain: +59.99%
BT Brands Inc. and Aero Velocity Inc. jointly announced a definitive merger agreement for an all-stock transaction. The combined company will concentrate on developing advanced drone technologies and delivering AI-powered solutions for both government and commercial markets. Benzinga reports.

Time (ET) | Report | Period

8:15 AM - ADP employment - August
8:30 AM - Initial jobless claims - August 30
8:30 AM - U.S. productivity (revision) - Q2