U.S. Stock Futures Slip as 5% Treasury Yield Hits Tech, Eyes on Trump-Xi Summit

U.S. stock index futures registered a slight decline in evening trading on Wednesday, following a session where surging Treasury yields punished technology stocks. Investor focus is now squarely on a high-stakes summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

By 9:02 PM ET (01:02 GMT), S&P 500 futures were down 0.1%, Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.1%, and Dow Jones futures dipped 0.13%, according to data from Investing.com.

Wall Street Pressured by Surging Yields

The move in futures followed a negative day on Wall Street, where the tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite led losses with a 1.1% slide from recent record highs. The primary catalyst was a sharp spike in government bond yields, which creates headwinds for equities, particularly growth-oriented technology companies, by making their future earnings less attractive.

The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield soared past 5%, briefly touching its highest level since 2007. The climb was fueled by stronger-than-expected purchasing managers index data, which pointed to continued strength in the U.S. economy and renewed concerns over further interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. Hawkish commentary from Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr also contributed to the upward pressure on yields.

U.S.-China Summit in Focus

Ad

Market participants are closely watching diplomatic developments as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday for bilateral talks with President Trump scheduled for Thursday. The agenda is expected to be dominated by discussions on trade relations and regulations surrounding artificial intelligence.

Ahead of the main summit, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday that the two nations had agreed to extend their existing trade truce by two months, pushing the deadline to early January. Investors will also be looking for any agreements on China's rare earth exports and its commitments to purchasing U.S. agricultural goods.

Geopolitical Headwinds Add to Caution

Sentiment was also dented by a rebound in oil prices amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. According to reports, the U.S. rejected a recent proposal from Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. officials have downplayed the significance of recent dialogue between the two countries. This geopolitical uncertainty added to the cautious tone in the markets.