U.S. stock futures exhibited minimal movement Monday evening following a lackluster day on Wall Street, as investors approached with caution in anticipation of significant economic data releases and first-quarter earnings reports from major players such as Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft. The subdued movements also mirrored escalating global recession anxieties and persistent ambiguity surrounding U.S.-China tariff discussions. S&P 500 Futures remained stable at 5,553.0 points, whereas Nasdaq 100 Futures experienced a slight decline of 0.1%, settling at 19,518 points by 18:00 ET. Dow Jones Futures exhibited minimal fluctuations, standing at 40,381 points.

Major Wall Street indexes experienced modest gains on Monday, with the Dow and S&P 500 closing slightly higher while the Nasdaq finished fractionally lower, as investors processed the latest remarks on tariffs from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average concluded the trading session with a gain of 0.3%, while the S&P 500 index saw a modest increase of 0.1%. In contrast, the NASDAQ Composite experienced a slight decline of 0.1%. NVIDIA stock experienced a decline of over 2%, whereas shares of Tesla and Apple saw a slight increase.

In a Monday interview with CNBC, Secretary Bessent remarked that numerous countries have presented ’very good’ tariff proposals to the U.S. He also stated that all aspects of the U.S. government are in contact with China and that it is up to China to de-escalate the situation. This followed Beijing’s earlier denial of any discussions taking place. Investors remained prudent as they looked for tangible indications of a reduction in trade tensions. A Reuters poll on Monday indicated that the global economy is at a significant risk of recession this year, highlighting that U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs have undermined business sentiment.

Important economic data and significant earnings from large-cap companies are on the horizon. Investors prepared for a hectic week ahead, anticipating a range of U.S. economic data releases, notably the Federal Reserve’s favored inflation measure – the PCE price index, alongside the monthly U.S. jobs report. This week, the U.S. is set to release its first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data. Markets were also anticipating earnings from the “magnificent seven” megacaps, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta Platforms, this week. On Wednesday, Microsoft and Meta will present their earnings reports, followed by Apple and Amazon, who are slated to disclose their financial results on Thursday. These reports are essential for assessing corporate resilience in the context of persistent global uncertainty.