### Mixed US Stock Futures as Investors Await Key Economic Data

US stock futures presented a mixed outlook on Tuesday as investors began the new quarter keenly awaiting fresh data on jobs and manufacturing to gauge the direction of interest-rate cuts. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) dipped 0.2%, while S&P 500 futures (ES=F) hovered just below the flat line, both coming off recent record highs. Similarly, Nasdaq 100 contracts (NQ=F) showed little movement.

This variable start to October and the fourth quarter comes as market participants digest comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Powell indicated that policymakers are not in a rush to lower interest rates, even as they aim to stabilize economic conditions. As a result, traders have scaled back expectations for another 0.5% rate cut.

A forthcoming report on job openings for August, due later, has the potential to alter these expectations if the results are softer than anticipated. The Federal Reserve's current emphasis is squarely on the labor market. Additionally, updates from ISM and S&P Global regarding manufacturing activity are expected to draw significant attention, as they could offer crucial insights into the pace at which the US economy is slowing.

These economic readings will set the stage for the much-anticipated September jobs report scheduled for release on Friday. This report is the highlight of a week filled with closely monitored economic data. Investors are particularly focused on determining whether the US economy is cooling off without deteriorating.