US Futures Fall, Volatile Start For Nikkei, Dollar Slips As Trump Pushes Fed For Rate Cuts, Jerome Powell Exit

U.S. stock futures fell Sunday evening after a three-day Easter weekend, following yet another week in the red for the markets.

The S&P 500 futures are down 0.67% at 5,277, Nasdaq futures down 0.58%, trading at 18,273, followed by Dow Futures, down 0.72% at 39,042.

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Meanwhile, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 had a volatile start to the day, and is down 0.90% or 313 points, owing to the Yen strengthening against the U.S. Dollar. Auto, pharmaceuticals, and other export-linked stocks are leading the decline in Tokyo, while retailers and domestic entertainment companies rally.

The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) slipped below the 99 mark, down 0.17% on Sunday night. The dollar fell on Monday amid concerns of the Federal Reserve’s independence coming under threat by the Trump administration, reported Reuters.

White House adviser Kevin Hassett said on Friday that the president’s team was studying whether Fed Chair Jerome Powell could be fired, according to the report.

Several prominent companies are set to release their earnings this week, including Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM), and Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE:PG), among several others.

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