U.S. futures steady with Warsh speech, Nvidia rally, PayPal and oil in focus: Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq, Wall Street

U.S. equity futures showed limited movement on Friday as markets awaited Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole address following a technology-led advance in the previous session.

S&P 500 futures were unchanged, while Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.3% and Dow futures gained 0.2%.

Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) remained in focus after its shares advanced following the company’s latest results. PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL), meanwhile, dropped in after-hours trading after a reported takeover approach ended, while renewed uncertainty over U.S.-Iran relations contributed to higher oil prices.

Nvidia climbed 8.7% on Thursday after the semiconductor company issued a stronger-than-expected revenue outlook.

The S&P 500 subsequently closed 0.7% higher, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.6% and the Dow advanced 0.2%.

Nvidia’s position as a supplier of chips used in artificial intelligence infrastructure means its financial performance is also closely followed by investors assessing spending across the broader AI data centre market.

Investors are awaiting Warsh’s keynote speech at the Federal Reserve’s annual Jackson Hole symposium in Wyoming later on Friday.

Markets will be looking for indications of how the central bank is assessing inflation and the future direction of interest rates.

Price pressures have remained elevated in recent economic data, while Treasury yields continue to reflect concerns surrounding inflation, government borrowing and monetary policy.

Warsh’s comments could alter market expectations for interest rates, although any resulting movement in equities or bonds will depend on the substance of his remarks.

Nvidia is also facing attention over a financing initiative involving AI cloud companies.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the chipmaker has paused some transactions under a programme providing credit support to AI cloud businesses purchasing Nvidia chips.

Under the initiative, participating companies received financing support in exchange for a portion of their revenue.

The report said some Nvidia employees had raised concerns about potential antitrust scrutiny. The precise reason for pausing the transactions remains unclear from the source material, and the programme could still be modified.

Chief Executive Jensen Huang has previously defended Nvidia’s investments in AI start-ups, arguing that businesses in the sector require unusually large amounts of capital.

PayPal shares fell 12.2% in after-hours trading after a consortium led by Advent International and Stripe ended its pursuit of the payments company, Bloomberg reported.

The prospective buyers had reportedly proposed paying $60.50 per share, implying a valuation of more than $53 billion.

According to the report, PayPal’s board viewed the price as insufficient and also raised concerns regarding regulatory and financing considerations.

Reports of potential takeover interest had previously contributed to PayPal’s recovery from a 52-week low of $38.46 after discussions emerged in July.

Oil prices moved higher after reports of a change in the U.S. administration’s position towards an earlier agreement with Iran.

The Trump administration has told mediators that it is no longer interested in returning to a memorandum of understanding agreed in June, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The agreement signed by President Donald Trump at the Palace of Versailles had provided a framework for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and beginning negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief and access to frozen Iranian assets.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has since moved towards a maximum economic pressure policy and is not seeking to restore the agreement.

Brent crude subsequently traded above $88 per barrel.

The Strait of Hormuz is relevant to international energy markets because of its role in global oil shipments. A sustained change in crude prices could also influence inflation expectations and market assumptions regarding the future direction of monetary policy.

This article was written by the editorial team at InvestorsHub/ADVFN and is provided for informational purposes only. In some cases, editorial staff may use artificial intelligence–based tools to assist in the research, drafting, or editing of content, under human review and oversight. This article does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any securities. The views expressed are based on publicly available information believed to be reliable at the time of publication, but accuracy or completeness is not guaranteed. Readers should conduct their own independent research and consult a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.