
US open Wall Street heads lower jobs data in focus
Investors can't shake off concerns over the health of the economic recovery amid rising covid cases. JOLTS job openings data could continue raising more questions than bring answers.
Share this:
US futures
Dow futures -0.13% at 35100
S&P futures -0.12% at 4520
Nasdaq futures -0.08% at 15663
In Europe
FTSE -0.7% at 7123
Dax -0.7% at 15735
Euro Stoxx -0.42% at 4207
Futures head lower
US stocks are set for a softer open as investors continue to weigh up the economic outlook, the latest covid developments and the chances of the Fed moving to taper bond purchases sooner rather than later.
In the previous session, cyclicals were out of favour amid rising concerns over the outlook for the US economy. Goldman Sachs downwardly revised its US GDP for the second time in a month unnerving the market. JP Morgan also downgraded its recommendation on US equities.
Meanwhile covid cases in the US are rising sharply, with deaths also jumping higher as schools return and offices reopen. All this at a time when the Fed is considering reining in support.
Attention will return to the labout market conundrum of slowing payrolls being added yet sky high job openings. The JOLTS job data is expected to reveal 10 million openings. This comes after just 253k jobs were added in August raising more questions than giving answers
Where next for the Dow Jones?
The Dow Jones fell steeply in the previous session finding support at the 50 sma, a support which has been strong across 2021. The price is currently testing this key level again today. The bearish divergence on the RSI suggests that the momentum is slowing which often comes before a move lower. A close below the 50 sma would be significant and could open the door to 34600 the 100 sma. Any move above 35195 could set the index on the path higher back towards 35700.
FX – USD extends rebound, GBP drops on tax hike
The US Dollar is extending gains for a second straight session tracing treasury yields higher. After its steep selloff following Jackson Hole and the weak labour report, has the selloff been overdone? The risk is that the market is underpricing a move by the Fed. St Louis Fed President James Bullard said that the central bank should go forward with plans to taper bond purchases this year.
GBP/USD trades lower for a third straight session after the unveiling of tax hikes by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Boris Johnson plans to hike NI for both businesses and individuals by 1.25% in a move which could slow the post pandemic economic recovery. The hike would mean that the UK has its highest peacetime tax burden ever.
GBP/USD -0.14% at 1.3768
EUR/USD -0.15% at 1.1823
Oil rises ahead of EIA data
Oil is on the rise as supply concerns overshadow demand fears amid rising covid cases. Oil trades over 1% higher after US Gulf of Mexico producers make slow progress to restoring output following Hurricane Ida 9 day ago. Around 80% of production remains offline.
Inventory data will be closely eyed for further clues as to how the storm impacted crude production. Expectations are for crude inventories to fall by 3.8 million barrels.
After high levels of volatility across August, which saw the price of oil swing by 7-10% per week, September is proving to be a lot calmer so far.
US crude trades +1.4% at $69.26
Brent trades +1.2% at $72.44
Looking ahead
15:00 JOLTS job openings
15:00 Ivey PMI
15:00 BoC
15:30 EIA oil stock change
19:00 US Beige Book
US futures
Dow futures -0.13% at 35100
S&P futures -0.12% at 4520
Nasdaq futures -0.08% at 15663
In Europe
FTSE -0.7% at 7123
Dax -0.7% at 15735
Euro Stoxx -0.42% at 4207
Learn more about trading indices
Futures head lower
US stocks are set for a softer open as investors continue to weigh up the economic outlook, the latest covid developments and the chances of the Fed moving to taper bond purchases sooner rather than later.
In the previous session, cyclicals were out of favour amid rising concerns over the outlook for the US economy. Goldman Sachs downwardly revised its US GDP for the second time in a month unnerving the market. JP Morgan also downgraded its recommendation on US equities.
Meanwhile covid cases in the US are rising sharply, with deaths also jumping higher as schools return and offices reopen. All this at a time when the Fed is considering reining in support.
Attention will return to the labout market conundrum of slowing payrolls being added yet sky high job openings. The JOLTS job data is expected to reveal 10 million openings. This comes after just 253k jobs were added in August raising more questions than giving answers
Where next for the Dow Jones?
The Dow Jones fell steeply in the previous session finding support at the 50 sma, a support which has been strong across 2021. The price is currently testing this key level again today. The bearish divergence on the RSI suggests that the momentum is slowing which often comes before a move lower. A close below the 50 sma would be significant and could open the door to 34600 the 100 sma. Any move above 35195 could set the index on the path higher back towards 35700.
FX – USD extends rebound, GBP drops on tax hike
The US Dollar is extending gains for a second straight session tracing treasury yields higher. After its steep selloff following Jackson Hole and the weak labour report, has the selloff been overdone? The risk is that the market is underpricing a move by the Fed. St Louis Fed President James Bullard said that the central bank should go forward with plans to taper bond purchases this year.
GBP/USD trades lower for a third straight session after the unveiling of tax hikes by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Boris Johnson plans to hike NI for both businesses and individuals by 1.25% in a move which could slow the post pandemic economic recovery. The hike would mean that the UK has its highest peacetime tax burden ever.
GBP/USD -0.14% at 1.3768
EUR/USD -0.15% at 1.1823
Oil rises ahead of EIA data
Oil is on the rise as supply concerns overshadow demand fears amid rising covid cases. Oil trades over 1% higher after US Gulf of Mexico producers make slow progress to restoring output following Hurricane Ida 9 day ago. Around 80% of production remains offline.
Inventory data will be closely eyed for further clues as to how the storm impacted crude production. Expectations are for crude inventories to fall by 3.8 million barrels.
After high levels of volatility across August, which saw the price of oil swing by 7-10% per week, September is proving to be a lot calmer so far.
US crude trades +1.4% at $69.26
Brent trades +1.2% at $72.44
Learn more about trading oil here.
The complete guide to trading oil markets
Looking ahead
15:00 JOLTS job openings
15:00 Ivey PMI
15:00 BoC
15:30 EIA oil stock change
19:00 US Beige Book
How to trade with City Index
Follow these easy steps to start trading with City Index today:
- Open a City Index account, or log-in if you’re already a customer.
- Search for the market you want to trade in our award-winning platform.
- Choose your position and size, and your stop and limit levels
- Place the trade.
The complete CFD trading experience
Award-winning platforms, competitive spreads, low commissions and dedicated support.
We live and breathe the markets and are dedicated to helping traders realise their ambitions as we continue to set the industry bar.
Economic calendar
Web Trader platform
Our sophisticated web-based platform is packed with features.

NZD/USD pressure mounts as payrolls looms large
NZD/USD has fallen sharply as Fed rate expectations reset higher, but extreme downside stretch and major support raise the risk of a violent counter-trend rebound.

US Core PCE Preview: Stale or Significant for the Fed
Core PCE inflation takes center stage Wednesday, with traders watching for signs of renewed price pressure and clues on whether the Fed could hike again in October.

Australian Dollar Forecast: AUD/USD Four-Week Slide Nears Critical Uptrend Support 9 29 2026
Aussie momentum has deteriorated sharply into quarter-end, with inflation, Core PCE and NFP on tap as AUD/USD closes in on a pivotal technical threshold.
StoneX Europe Ltd may make third party material available on this website which may contain information included but not limited to the conditions of financial markets. The material is for information purposes only and does not contain, and should not be construed as containing, investment advice and/or investment recommendation and/or an investment research and/or an offer of or solicitation for any transactions in financial instruments; any decision to enter into a specific transaction shall be made by the client following an assessment by him/her of their situation.
StoneX Europe Ltd makes no representation or warranty and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, nor any loss arising from any investment based on a recommendation, forecast or other information supplied. You should always seek independent advice as to your suitability to speculate in any related markets and your ability to assume the associated risks, if you are at all unsure. We are not under any obligation to update any such material. Any opinion made may be personal to the author and may not reflect the opinion of StoneX Europe Ltd.






