New York, February 6, 2026, 05:50 EST — Premarket trading underway.
- Dow futures edged up slightly before the U.S. cash market opened, following Thursday’s steep decline.
- Amazon dipped in premarket trading as attention stays on Big Tech’s AI-related spending.
- Next week’s postponed U.S. jobs and inflation reports are on traders’ radar for the next market move.
By 5:34 a.m. ET, Dow futures were up 71 points, or 0.1%, signaling a cautious bounce for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) following a turbulent week for U.S. stocks.
The Dow tumbled 592.58 points, or 1.2%, finishing Thursday at 48,908.72 as investors dumped big tech stocks. Concerns about the timeline for returns on massive AI investments weighed heavily. “This is the first time we’ve seen the large-cap tech companies … go through a really large capex cycle,” noted Tom Hainlin, an investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. Reuters
The rebound arrives on a day when traders normally prepare for the monthly U.S. payrolls report — except that report was delayed due to a short government shutdown. Meanwhile, CME’s FedWatch tool shows Fed funds futures are now pricing in a greater likelihood of a rate cut in March, injecting fresh uncertainty into equity markets.
Amazon shares dropped about 8% in premarket trading after the company’s capital expenditures outlook drew fresh scrutiny on Big Tech’s spending surge. MoffettNathanson analysts said the scale of the spending “is materially greater than consensus expected.” CEO Andy Jassy defended the cloud division’s growth, highlighting AWS revenue of $35.6 billion in the December quarter. Reuters
The Dow’s swings hinge on a few pricey stocks since it’s price-weighted — a $1 shift in any component carries equal weight, no matter the company’s size. MarketWatch calculated that early declines in Amazon and Microsoft alone shaved roughly 118 points off the index Thursday.
But the risks on the downside remain. A sharp drop in software and data services sparked a wider “sell-everything mindset,” as Bailard’s Dave Harrison Smith described it. Adding to the jitters, Wall Street’s fear gauge ended at its highest level since November, highlighting how delicate sentiment has grown. Reuters
New labor figures provided no relief. Weekly jobless claims climbed to 231,000, while job openings dropped to 6.542 million in December, hitting their lowest point since 2020. “We see the data as reflective of ongoing judicious hiring practices,” said Nationwide’s Oren Klachkin. Reuters
Beyond stocks, investors went into risk-off mode Thursday, with bitcoin dropping toward $62,000 and metals prices swinging sharply. The 10-year Treasury yield also dipped to 4.20%. These shifts had stock traders searching for hints that the selloff might be stabilizing instead of worsening.
Key events are packed into next week. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the postponed U.S. employment report will come out Feb. 11, followed by the January CPI data on Feb. 13. Any surprises in payroll numbers, wages, or inflation could shake up rate outlooks once more.
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