Stock Market Roiled by Fed's Stance Amid Inflation Jitters

U.S. stock futures drop as robust payroll data spurs expectations for Federal Reserve's hawkish stance. Key indexes suffer declines amid inflation concerns and trade policy uncertainties. Investors remain cautious ahead of Fed's upcoming economic reports, while major disruptions hit sectors including tech and healthcare.

U.S. stock index futures saw a downturn on Monday following last week's strong payroll data, fueling expectations that the Federal Reserve will maintain a firm stance through most of 2025. Major indexes, including the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq, witnessed significant declines as interest rates surged.

The market's volatility comes in the wake of continuous inflationary pressures in the U.S., exacerbated by anticipated policies of the incoming Trump administration, such as tariffs and stricter immigration controls. Treasury yields remain elevated as interest-rate futures signal minimal rate cuts this year.

High-profile companies including Tesla, Amazon, and Alphabet experienced premarket losses, with tech stocks notably impacted by new government restrictions on AI chip exports. Meanwhile, Moderna faced a substantial stock hit following its reduced sales forecast for 2025 amid slow product launches.

(With inputs from agencies.)