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  5. US markets today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures indicate gap-up open; Coinbase, Broadcom, other stocks in focus

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US markets today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures indicate gap-up open; Coinbase, Broadcom, other stocks in focus

Anubhav Mukherjee
By Anubhav Mukherjee

3 min read | Updated on August 21, 2026, 18:53 IST

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SUMMARY

US equity futures indicate a positive open on Friday, August 21, as investors focus on rebound potential after Thursday’s losses and mixed momentum from Asian markets.

Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures indicate a positive open ahead of the opening bell on Friday, August 21. | Image: Shutterstock.

Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures indicate a positive open ahead of the opening bell on Friday, August 21. | Image: Shutterstock.

US markets today: US equity futures on Wall Street indicate a gap-up open on Friday, August 21, as investors focused on rebound potential after Thursday’s losses, and mixed momentum from Asian markets amid elevated crude oil prices.
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Investing.com data showed that the Dow Jones futures were trading 0.67% higher at 53,204 points ahead of the opening bell on Friday’s market session, indicating a more than 400-point higher open in comparison to the previous Wall Street close.

The exchange data also showed that the S&P 500 index futures were trading 0.53% higher at 7,703 points ahead of the opening bell on August 21, indicating an over 60-point higher open on Friday’s market.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 futures surged 0.78% to 29,530 points higher ahead of the trading session on Friday, indicating a more than 300-point higher opening when compared to the previous US equity market close levels.

Also read: Wall Street ends in red as rising yields, surging oil prices dampen sentiment

Key things to watch before US market opens

US markets recap

The US equity market indices declined sharply to end lower after the trading session on Thursday, August 20, as investors focused on elevated crude oil prices, Walmart’s losses, inflation concerns, and the re-escalating conflict in West Asia.

Dow Jones Industrial Average declined to end 1.32% lower at 52,759.21 points after the trading session on Thursday, in comparison to 53,463.05 points at the previous equity market close.

The S&P 500 index ended 0.87% lower at 7,641.16 points after the Wall Street session on August 20, compared to 7,707.98 points at the previous stock market close, according to MarketWatch data.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 closed 0.72% lower at 29,213.16 points after the US equity market session on Thursday, in comparison to 29,426.02 points at the previous stock market close, as per the exchange data.

Also read: Vedanta to Hindustan Zinc: Metal stocks shine amid high commodity prices; can they sustain their momentum?

US stocks to watch today

BJ’s Wholesale: BJ’s Wholesale shares were trading more than 2% higher during the pre-market trading session on NYSE ahead of the opening bell as investors focused on the better-than-expected financial results for the June quarter.
Ross Stores: Ross Stores shares have surged around 8% during the pre-market session on Nasdaq ahead of the opening bell on August 21, as investors were analysing the Q2 results exceeding Wall Street expectations.
Coinbase: Crypto stock Coinbase shares were trading more than 5% higher during the pre-market trading session on Friday’s market, as benchmark cryptocurrency Bitcoin continued its rally.
Broadcom: Broadcom shares were trading more than 1% higher during the pre-market Nasdaq hours ahead of the opening bell on August 21, after a Bloomberg report suggested that the chipmaking firm allegedly plans to raise more than $60 billion in debt to support Anthropic.

Economic data release today

Investors will also track the release of S&P Global’s US Flash Manufacturing PMI data at around 9:45 am (ET) in the United States, which will show the conditions of new orders, output, and employment for August 2026.

Key focus will also remain on the US Flash Services PMI data for August 2026, according to the economic calendar.

Disclaimer: This article is purely for informational purposes and should not be considered investment advice from Upstox. Please consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

About The Author

Anubhav Mukherjee
Anubhav Mukherjee is a business journalist with experience at leading financial news platforms. He writes on a wide range of topics, including equity markets, corporate developments, company earnings and commodities. He holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business & Financial Journalism by Bloomberg from the Asian College of Journalism.

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