US stock futures rise as Wall Street heads for first weekly loss in a month

US stock futures edged higher on Friday even as major indices headed for weekly losses. Rising Treasury yields and Iran-linked inflation worries continued to unsettle investors.Image used for representational purposes onlyUS stock market futures moved higher early on Friday, but the main Wall Street indices were still on track to end the week in the red for the first time in a month. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.3 per cent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.4 per cent and Nasdaq futures climbed 0.6 per cent.Before the opening bell, the Dow and the S&P 500 were down 1.81 per cent and 1.85 per cent for the week, while the Nasdaq had fallen 2.48 per cent. It would also be the Dow's second straight weekly loss.US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week tried to ease longer-term borrowing costs, which have weighed on markets, though the impact has been limited. The Treasury said on Wednesday it would at least double the size of its planned purchases of longer-term government debt, and Bessent signalled on Thursday that the repurchase programme could be larger. The move briefly pushed down government bond yields, which have stayed elevated amid worries over high inflation, partly linked to the war in Iran, and rising US government debt.Economists, however, believe the effect on yields will be temporary. The yield on the US 10-year Treasury stood at about 4.70 per cent, up from nearly 4.64 per cent on Thursday and close to where it was before the Treasury Department's announcement. The 30-year Treasury yield rose to about 5.25 per cent from 5.18 per cent on Thursday. In early trading, SpaceX shares were up less than 1 per cent after nearly 319 million shares held by investors and employees became eligible to trade on Thursday. Bitcoin extended its rally this week and was up more than 5 per cent early on Friday. It has gained 22 per cent this week and was trading at USD 76,935. Bond yields also rose in Asia. Japan's 10-year government bond yield, which had been trading near 30-year highs, rose to about 2.88 per cent from around 2.83 per cent on Thursday. In Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.1 per cent to 10,752.29, France's CAC 40 was almost unchanged at 8,454.20, and Germany's DAX added 0.1 per cent to 26,015.14. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.3 per cent to 66,016.36 after data showed headline inflation rose to 1.9 per cent in July, partly because of higher oil prices linked to the war with Iran. South Korea's Kospi climbed 0.9 per cent to 6,912.95, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.2 per cent to 26,009.46, and the Shanghai Composite index added less than 0.1 per cent to 3,905.20.Oil prices were largely flat as the US stepped up its economic threats towards Iran amid limited progress in talks between Washington and Tehran on opening the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude slipped 0.1 per cent to USD 93.67 a barrel, after trading at roughly USD 72 a barrel before the war began. Benchmark US crude was also down 0.1 per cent at USD 86.77 a barrel. In currency markets, the US dollar weakened to 158.70 Japanese yen from 159.05 yen, while the euro rose to USD 1.1702 from USD 1.1678. Overall, markets were balancing firmer US stock futures with rising bond yields, steady oil prices and weekly losses across major US indices. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 21, 2026 18:04 IST