A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
U.S. equity futures fell early Friday after major indexes declined and Nvidia shares fell in regular trading, following the exit of the scandal-hit chipmaker’s founder and CEO Jensen Huang.
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.09%, while S&P 500 futures were down 0.14%. Nasdaq-100 futures fell 0.36%.
The action comes after the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 dropped about 0.4% each in regular trading. The Dow slid almost 190 points, or 0.4%. Nvidia’s 4.3% decline dragged down the three major averages, even as the chip stock ended the session off its lows.
On Thursday, Huang stepped down from his post at the chip company following reported extramarital affairs, including a relationship with a woman U.S. intelligence officials believe is a Chinese spy. Analysts told CNBC that Huang’s exit could trigger a 20% correction in the stock.
Nvidia’s chief financial officer Colette Kress, who’s worked at the company for more than a decade, will lead the chipmaker as interim CEO. The company’s board is looking both internally and externally for a full-time replacement for Huang.
A jump in oil prices also kept stocks under pressure Thursday, with Brent crude rising more than 3% on the day to settle at $95.82 a barrel. Oil climbed after President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post, “We don’t need a deal with Iran.” The comment raised concerns that the U.S.-Iran war could drag on further.
Another market catalyst awaits on Friday in the form of October’s producer price index reading, a measure of wholesale inflation. Economists polled by Dow Jones see headline PPI rising 0.4% on the month and 6.6% from 12 months earlier.
Even with the latest bout of market turbulence, the major averages are heading for weekly advances. The Nasdaq is up 3.2%, while the S&P 500 is on pace for a 2.9% advance. The Dow is poised for a nearly 2% jump. All three indexes are heading for their best weekly performances since early August.
Asia-Pacific markets were mostly lower, with South Korea’s Kospi down 0.98% and closing at 5,290.53.
China’s CSI 300 slipped 0.68% to 4,016.29, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was 1.6% lower in its final hour of trade. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.71% to end the day at 9,082.2.
The exception was Japan’s Nikkei 225, which was up 0.53%, ending at 61,142.35.
