Dow Futures indicate a positive trajectory in advance of a highly awaited U.S. employment report, which may significantly impact the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy outlook for the remainder of the year. A multi-million-dollar charge is incurred due to a delay in U.S. tariff relief; however, a better-than-expected forecast bolsters the carmaker’s shares in extended hours trading. An activist investor is reportedly advocating for a withdrawal from the offer, marking the latest development in an ongoing takeover saga.

Dow Futures experienced a modest increase on Wednesday, as market participants anticipated the release of a new monthly jobs report while evaluating a series of corporate earnings results. By 02:33, the Dow futures contract had increased by 91 points, or 0.2%, while other futures had advanced by 12 points, or 0.2%, and additional futures had moved up by 48 points, or 0.2%. While the blue-chip achieved a new record close on Tuesday, the benchmark S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite both experienced declines, influenced in part by increasing concerns regarding the implications of new artificial intelligence tools. Financial services stocks experienced a decline following the introduction of an AI-driven tax planning product by wealth management startup Altruis. The sector slipped by more than 7%, while a peer recorded its most significant one-day drop since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This downturn mirrored a comparable AI-driven decline in insurance brokers and software firms in recent sessions, highlighting concerns that the emerging technology could induce significant and far-reaching disruptions across various industries — although some analysts have characterized such anxieties as exaggerated. In the interim, the stagnation in retail sales has influenced investor sentiment, prompting certain analysts to propose that the economy may be heading towards a trajectory of reduced growth in 2026. Expectations surrounding a potential shift towards a more dovish monetary policy by the Federal Reserve have risen, as indicated by CME FedWatch, which reflects an increase in the likelihood of an interest rate cut in April.

In light of the prevailing data, the focal point on Wednesday is expected to stem from the economic calendar, where a postponed assessment of U.S. employment growth is set to be unveiled. The projections indicate that the U.S. economy experienced an increase of approximately 66,000 jobs in January, a rise from the 50,000 recorded in December. During its most recent monetary policy meeting last month, the Fed characterized the labor market as “stabilizing” following a recent period of sluggishness. This argument, along with indications of persistent — though elevated — inflation, led the Fed to maintain interest rates within a range of 3.5% to 3.75%. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett cautioned earlier this week that advancements in AI may negatively impact U.S. job growth in the near future, despite an increase in productivity. The outlook for the current year remains somewhat unclear, considering the uncertainty surrounding the trajectory of employment and inflation — the Federal Reserve’s two primary policy foundations. The forthcoming jobs report, in conjunction with a new consumer price index released on Friday, may provide greater insight into the trajectory of interest rates in 2026. Today’s jobs report is a pivotal event for the foreign exchange market. “A materially weak print would likely pave the way for markets to price in a cut in April,” analysts noted.

Ford Motor’s shares experienced a slight increase in after-hours trading following the company’s announcement of profit and cash flow guidance that surpassed analysts’ forecasts. The group forecasted that annual operating income would reach approximately $9 billion, in contrast to US market estimates of around $8.85 billion. Expected free cash flow of $5.5 billion exceeded projections. Ford reported a fourth-quarter operating loss of $11.1 billion, marking its largest loss to date. The company recorded a charge of $900 million associated with a postponement in the implementation date of a tariff-relief program initiated by the Trump administration. CFO Sherry House informed investors that Ford received notification regarding the “unexpected” change “very late” in 2025. Earnings season is poised to advance later today, featuring Cisco Systems, McDonald’s, and T-Mobile US as prominent participants.

In other news, investors were monitoring a series of reported developments in the ongoing saga surrounding the competition for the established entity Warner Bros. Discovery. Activist investor Ancora Holdings has reportedly accumulated a stake of approximately $200 million in Warner and is preparing to advocate for the company to decline Netflix’s substantial proposal for its movie and television division, as well as the HBO Max streaming service. According to sources close to the situation, the WSJ reported that Ancora may reveal its stance as early as Wednesday, contending that Warner has not sufficiently addressed the competing offer from Paramount Skydance, which proposes a complete acquisition of Warner instead of targeting individual segments. The report emerged as Paramount enhanced its proposal by providing Warner shareholders additional cash for each quarter that the transaction remains uncompleted. Paramount announced that it would cover any fees incurred by Warner for exiting the Netflix agreement. Nonetheless, Paramount has refrained from increasing its total offer, which, when accounting for debt, amounts to $108.4 billion.

Gold prices increased following the release of weak U.S. retail sales data, which heightened speculation regarding a slowdown in the world’s largest economy. This development has intensified attention on upcoming payrolls data for clearer insights. Despite recording some gains this week, prices of precious metals have exhibited volatility following a decline from record highs in late January, and have since faced challenges in their recovery. Recent declines in the dollar provided only marginal support. Uncertainty surrounding geopolitical tensions in the Middle East has maintained pressure on haven-linked demand for gold. Spot gold experienced an increase of 0.4%, reaching $5,047.08 per ounce, whereas gold futures saw a rise of 0.8%, climbing to $5,071.34.oz. Spot prices continued to stay beneath the recent peaks observed. In oil markets, Brent crude prices experienced an increase of 1.2%, reaching $69.64 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude saw a rise of 1.3%, climbing to $64.81 per barrel.