Earnings, Fed Outlook Limit Wall Street Pre-Bell; Asia Mixed Europe Off

07:17 AM EDT, 08/21/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Wall Street futures pointed modestly lower pre-bell Thursday, as traders digested the earnings season and awaited reports from the pending annual global central-bank gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Federal Reserve Chief Jerome Powell is slated to address the Kansas City Fed-hosted event at 10 am ET on Friday, with his remarks to be scoured for clues to the central bank's outlook.

In the futures, the S&P 500 fell 0.2%, the Nasdaq declined 0.1% and the Dow Jones was off 0.4%.

In earnings news, Walmart (WMT) traded down more than 2% pre-bell after the retail colossus reported fiscal Q2 earnings below Street views, but topped revenue outlooks, and issued modestly upgraded guidance, in pre-bell hours.

Asian exchanges traded mixed overnight on tech-sector wobbles, while European bourses tracked moderately south midday on the continent.

On the economic calendar is the weekly jobless claims report at 8:30 am ET, along with the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index for August.

The S&P Global PMI composite flash for August posts at 9:45 am.

The existing home sales for July bulletin, the leading indicators report for July, and the Q2 services survey, post at 10 am.

Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic speaks on Thursday.

In pre-market action, Bitcoin traded at $113,505, West Texas Intermediate crude oil traded higher at $63.25, and 10-year US Treasuries offered 4.31%. Spot gold traded for $3,371 an ounce.

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