US equity futures were higher on Friday, signaling a potential rebound after Thursday’s sharp sell-off rattled Wall Street and dragged major indexes to multi-week lows. By early morning, S&P 500 futures were up 0.3%, Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.2%, and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained more than 240 points, setting a more optimistic tone heading into the final session of the week.

The improved sentiment was largely driven by comments from New York Federal Reserve President John Williams, who indicated that the central bank may soon have room to lower interest rates again. His remarks came at a time when recent data has shown clear signs of a cooling labor market—something the Fed has been monitoring closely. With hiring slowing and wage pressures easing, the probability of a December rate cut has now risen to roughly 64%, according to futures markets. For investors, this shift represents a potential turning point after weeks of uncertainty surrounding the Fed’s next move.

Tech stocks, which bore the brunt of Thursday’s volatility, staged a modest comeback in pre-market trading. Apple and Microsoft each rose about 0.2%, while Amazon climbed 0.6%. Meta Platforms added 0.1%, Alphabet jumped 1.2%, and Tesla gained 1%, helping lift the Nasdaq 100 after the index suffered its worst one-day decline in weeks. The slight uptick in mega-cap tech reflects tentative bargain hunting from investors who continue to view these companies as long-term growth anchors despite ongoing macro headwinds.

Among individual movers, Intuit stood out with a strong pre-market surge of more than 2.8%. The software giant beat Wall Street expectations on both revenue and earnings, supported by steady demand in its small business and consumer tax segments. The company also provided encouraging guidance, reassuring markets about the resilience of its core franchises even in a slower-growth environment.

However, not all tech names participated in the rebound. Nvidia, the market’s most scrutinized AI bellwether, remained under pressure. The stock dipped another 0.2% in pre-market trading, extending Thursday’s 3.2% slump. The pullback comes as concerns over stretched AI-related valuations continue to circulate among analysts and investors. Despite extraordinary demand for its chips, some argue that expectations have reached unsustainable levels as hyperscalers and AI infrastructure players moderate near-term spending.

Similarly, Oracle, another major player in the cloud and data center ecosystem, traded 0.5% lower pre-market. The stock’s recent underperformance reflects a broader rotation away from highly valued AI beneficiaries amid uncertainty about the timing and magnitude of future enterprise IT spending.

Broader market performance for the week paints a clear picture of investor unease. The S&P 500 is down 2.9%, heading for one of its worst weekly performances since early fall. The Dow Jones has dropped nearly 3%, and the Nasdaq Composite has shed 3.6%, pressured heavily by the tech sector’s decline. Thursday’s selloff in particular highlighted concerns over valuations, slowing economic momentum, and lingering geopolitical tensions.

Still, Friday’s early rebound suggests that markets are not ready to capitulate. With rate-cut hopes revived and several major companies showing operational resilience, investors appear willing to step back in—albeit cautiously. Whether this bounce holds throughout the trading day will depend heavily on incoming economic data, Fed commentary, and broader risk sentiment.

For now, Wall Street is attempting to stabilize after a turbulent week, betting that easing inflation and a cooling labor market could finally give the Federal Reserve enough confidence to pivot toward more supportive policy. As rate expectations shift once again, the tug-of-war between macro uncertainty and long-term optimism continues to define market direction.