Stock futures trade mixed after tech sector sell-off: Live updates

The Nasdaq Composite posted its worst day since June on Thursday as tech stocks sold off, and U.S. equity futures were mixed in early Friday trading. The driver: concerns that the artificial intelligence trade could be faltering, at least in the near term, per CNBC.

The Nasdaq Composite's worst session in months marks a notable break in a market where tech leadership has been the dominant narrative. Futures tied to the major indexes failed to deliver a clear rebound signal after the rout, leaving direction unsettled heading into the Friday cash open.

Interpretation: mixed futures after a decline of that magnitude suggest buyers have not yet stepped in aggressively, and sellers have not pressed the advantage overnight. That is a market in wait-and-see mode rather than one in either panic or recovery. Because the selloff was tied to the AI trade specifically, the Nasdaq-100 complex that QQQ tracks sits at the center of the pressure, since it is the area most exposed to that theme.

The June reference point matters. A session that ranks as the worst in several months is a volatility event, not routine noise, and positioning built around AI momentum may be getting tested.