(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock markets, click (LIVE/) or type LIVE/ in a news window.)Futures down: Dow 0.30%, S&amp;P 500 0.22%, Nasdaq 0.31%Jan 8 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures moved lower on Thursday, as investors turned cautious in the run up to Friday’s crucial nonfarm payrolls, while defense companies advanced after President Donald Trump called for a $1.5 trillion military budget.Trump said that the 2027 U.S. military budget should be $1.5 trillion, significantly higher than the $901 billion approved by Congress for 2026.RTX (RTX.N) gained 4.9%, Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) was up 7.2%, Northrop Grumman (NOC.N) inched 7.5% higher and Kratos Defense (KTOS.O) advanced 7.1%.Investors looked past Trump’s vow to block defence contractors from paying dividends or buying back shares until they speed up weapons production.The move comes days after U.S. military forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The White House said on Tuesday that Trump was also discussing options for acquiring Greenland.“While details are unclear and implementation cumbersome, a move towards more government intervention would create uncertainty and add to some risk premium in the markets,” said Mohit Kumar, an economist at Jefferies.“We still remain constructive on the market but acknowledge the episodes of volatility which can follow Trump tweets. So far market has ignored geopolitical risks and focused on the fundamentals.”At 05:08 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis (YMcv1) were down 146 points, or 0.30%, S&amp;P 500 E-minis (EScv1) were down 15.5 points, or 0.22% and Nasdaq 100 E-minis (NQcv1) were down 80.25 points, or 0.31%.The S&amp;P 500 and the Dow ended Wednesday lower after hitting record highs earlier in the session as banks retreated from their peaks. The Dow marked its steepest one-day decline since November 18.Meanwhile, artificial-intelligence stocks boosted the tech-heavy Nasdaq to its highest level since late October.The focus this week will be on Friday’s crucial nonfarm payrolls report for December, which would be among the first reliable datasets after the longest U.S. shutdown in history.Separate reports this week have pointed to a weak picture, with job openings dropping to a 14-month low, while hirings remained sluggish.A weekly reading of jobless claims data is expected on Thursday.Among other stocks, Applied Digital (APLD.O) was up 7.4% in premarket trading after the data center operator reported second-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates on Wednesday.Constellation Brands (STZ.N) was up 2.3% after reporting third-quarter sales and profit above Wall Street estimates on Wednesday.

KTOS

U.S. stock index futures dipped ahead of Friday's nonfarm payrolls, with Dow down 0.30%, S&P 500 down 0.22%, and Nasdaq down 0.31%. Defense firms like RTX, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Kratos Defense saw gains following Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion military budget. Despite concerns over government intervention and geopolitical risks, analysts remain optimistic about the market's fundamentals. The S&P 500 and Dow ended lower after reaching record highs, while AI stocks boosted the Nasdaq. Investors await jobless claims data and the crucial payrolls report.

- U.S. stock index futures declined as investors showed caution ahead of the upcoming nonfarm payrolls report, with the Dow down 0.30%, S&P 500 down 0.22%, and Nasdaq down 0.31%.  
- Defense companies like RTX and Lockheed Martin saw gains following President Trump’s proposal for a $1.5 trillion military budget for 2027, raising concerns about government intervention risks.  
- Friday's nonfarm payrolls report is highly anticipated, amidst signals of a weakened job market indicated by a drop in job openings and sluggish hirings.

US STOCKS-US stock futures dip; defense firms climb up Trump budget plans