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Futures Slip as Geopolitical Tensions Overshadow Strong Bank Earnings

  US stock futures edged lower as investors balanced upbeat bank earnings against rising geopolitical unease tied to escalating tensions involving Iran. Contracts tied to the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all traded in the red, signaling a cautious start to the trading day. Major banks delivered solid quarterly results, with strong trading revenue and resilient consumer activity helping lift sentiment in the financial sector. Yet the optimism was tempered by concerns that potential US responses to developments in Iran could inject fresh volatility into global markets. Energy prices climbed as traders braced for possible disruptions. The pullback comes at a moment when investors are already navigating a crowded landscape of economic data, inflation readings, and policy uncertainty. With markets on edge, even strong corporate performance wasn’t enough to counter the broader risk-off mood.

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Wall Street Ends Week With Small Gain, But Big Loss


The US stock indexes closed slightly higher on Friday, but it was not enough to prevent the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite from having their worst weekly performance in months. The uncertainty over interest rate cuts has been cited as a major factor in the decline.

The economic data releases offered contrasting views on the state of the US economy: a robust jobs report from the Labor Department, which showed US employers hired more workers than expected in December, and a weak services sector survey from the ISM (,Institute for Supply Management) which showed activity in the services sector fell in December.

Some individual stocks had notable movements on Friday, such as Peloton (up on a TikTok deal) and Palantir (down on a Jefferies report).


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