U.S. stock futures experienced a significant decline on Monday, initiating a new trading month marked by volatility across equities, precious metals, and cryptocurrency markets. Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 1%, while S&P 500 futures dropped by 1.4%, and Nasdaq 100 futures plummeted by 1.8%.
The decline follows a tumultuous trading session on Friday, during which former President Donald Trump announced Kevin Warsh as his candidate to lead the Federal Reserve. This announcement has sparked speculation about potential shifts in interest rates in the upcoming months, with many traders anticipating two rate cuts by the year’s end.
Cryptocurrency markets saw Bitcoin dip below the $80,000 level for the first time since April, extending its losses after a volatile week. Precious metals, which had dominated the market rally earlier this year, continued to face fluctuations: silver rebounded late Sunday after a staggering 30% drop, marking its largest single-day fall on record, while gold saw a slight increase following its own corrections.
In addition to these movements, investors are sifting through new uncertainties regarding Nvidia and the broader implications for the artificial intelligence sector. Big Technology stocks have been instrumental in shaping market trends in early 2026, driven by significant earnings expectations that have led to divergent movements among companies.
The upcoming week promises to be eventful as more than 100 S&P 500 companies are set to release their quarterly earnings, including major corporations such as Amazon, Alphabet, Disney, Palantir, and Advanced Micro Devices. Additionally, investors will be monitoring the January jobs report scheduled for release on Friday, with economists projecting an increase of 65,000 jobs and an unchanged unemployment rate of 4.4%.
As markets navigate these developments, investors remain hopeful for clarity in economic indicators and corporate performance that could potentially stabilize market sentiment.