US equity futures climbed pre-bell Friday after the September national unemployment rate came in at 4.2%, above the 4.1% expected by Bloomberg estimates. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 29,000, falling short of the 90,000 jobs increase projected in a Bloomberg survey. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.9% higher, S&P 500 futures were up 0.8%, and Nasdaq futures were 1.1% higher.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged European countries to release diesel supplies quickly, stating on X that American farmers, truckers, and businesses should not carry the burden of a global diesel shortage. President Donald Trump is reportedly still considering banning diesel exports to manage high energy prices, according to multiple media outlets. Oil prices declined during the session, with front-month North Sea Brent crude down 2.7% at $99.56 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 3.7% lower at $89.41 per barrel.
August factory orders are expected to have gained 0.2%, compared with a previous increase of 0.9%, with data due at 10 am ET. Federal Reserve Dallas President Lorie Logan is slated to speak on Friday.
Global markets showed mixed results. Japan's Nikkei closed 0.9% lower, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 2.6% lower. China's Shanghai Composite was closed for a public holiday. In Europe, the UK's FTSE 100 was up 0.3%, and Germany's DAX index was 1.1% higher in the early afternoon session.
Broadcom (AVGO) shares rose 1.8% following a Bloomberg report that the company's financiers will soon seek $60 billion in borrowings to fund access to chips for AI modelers and others. Nasdaq announced that Moderna (MRNA) will be added to its index ahead of the Oct. 9 open, sending stock up 0.5%. S&P Dow Jones Indices confirmed that Vylor (VYLR) joined the S&P 500 on Thursday following its Corteva (CTVA) spinoff; shares rose 4.2%.
Nike (NKE) stock fell 7.9% after reporting lower fiscal Q1 earnings and revenue late Thursday. Multiple financial firms downgraded the company's stock following the results.