U.S. stock futures point lower on declines by U.S. tech firms in the face of new trade restrictions; Nvidia ( NVDA ) shares tumble in premarket trading on new U.S. restrictions of its H20 AI chip exports to China; Fed Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to speak this afternoon; U.S. retail sales are expected to improve in March; and ASML Holding ( ASML ) shares fall on worse-than-expected first-quarter net bookings and a soft current-quarter sales outlook. Here's what investors need to know today.
1. US Stock Futures Fall on Tech Worries Over Trade Restriction
U.S. stock futures are pointing lower as tech firm shares weigh on markets amid tighter trade restrictions and investors prepare for fresh retail sales data. Nasdaq futures are about 1.5% lower after the tech-heavy index closed down 0.1% Tuesday. S&P 500 futures are down 0.8% and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are slipping marginally after both indexes closed slightly lower yesterday . Bitcoin ( BTCUSD ) is slightly higher to trade at around $84,000. Yields on the 10-year Treasury note are little changed. Gold futures are soaring to more than $3,300 an ounce, while oil futures also are gaining.
2. Nvidia Stock Tumbles on US Restrictions of Chinese Chip Exports
Nvidia ( NVDA ) shares are falling by nearly 6% in premarket trading after it said it expects to take a $5.5 billion charge in its fiscal 2026 first-quarter results on U.S. curbs to artificial intelligence (AI) chip exports to China. The chipmaker said in a filing that the U.S. government would now require a license for Chinese exports of its H20 chip, a product that the company developed to meet export restrictions . The restrictions come amid a trade war escalation between the two countries.
3. Fed Chair Powell Set to Speak Amid Tariff Volatility
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to discuss the economic outlook during a speech today at 1:30 p.m. ET. Powell's remarks would be his first since April 4, two days after President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs announcement , when he said that the tariffs' size would likely drive inflation higher and economic growth lower . Since then, some tariffs have been paused and exemptions granted for tech products like computers and smartphones , creating volatile trading in markets.
4. US Retail Sales Seen Having Jumped in March
U.S. retail sales are expected to have increased by 1.2% month-over-month in March when that data is set to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET. Taking out automobile sales, the increase is expected to be flat from February's modest 0.2% rise, according to economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires . Investors will also be watching for industrial production data slated to be released at 9:15 a.m. ET. Economists are looking at new data releases for signals about the impact President Donald Trump's tariffs policy is having on the economy.
5. ASML Stock Falls on Weak Bookings, Soft Sales Outlook
Shares of Dutch tech firm ASML Holding (
ASML
) are down more than 4% in premarket trading after the maker of semiconductor-fabrication machinery
reported weak quarterly bookings
and a soft current-quarter sales outlook. The firm's first-quarter net bookings came to 3.94 billion euros, below the 4.84 billion euros expected by analysts polled by Visible Alpha. Its Q2 sales outlook of EUR7.2 billion to EUR7.7 billion was below analysts' expectations of EUR7.77 billion. "The recent tariff announcements have increased uncertainty in the macro environment and the situation will remain dynamic for a while," CEO Christophe Fouquet warned.
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