By Dow futures rose nearly 150 points on Thursday, reflecting cautious optimism among investors following strong earnings from major banks.
A similar pattern was visible across other Wall Street indices like the S&P, futures were up 0.1% and Nasdaq 100 futures increased 0.2% today.
Amid increased uncertainty over escalating US-China trade tensions and government shutdown, the investors are finding optimism in strong Q3 earnings.
5 things to know before Wall Street opens
1. Thursday marked the 16th day of the partial shutdown of the US government due to a budget deadlock between Democrats and Republicans.
The investors feel concerned about the future outlook as crucial economic data like inflation, jobless claims remain delayed due to the shutdown, while thousands of federal workers are looking at salary delays or worse, layoffs.
Yesterday, a federal judge in San Francisco temporarily stopped the Trump administration’s plan to layoff federal workers, but the heightned uncertainty continues to weigh on the sentiment.
2. In pre-market trading on Thursday, J.B. Hunt Transport Services shares surged over 13% following better-than-expected earnings and revenue results, reflecting strong operational performance.
Salesforce shares also climbed 4% after the company delivered an optimistic forecast for 2030 at its annual Dreamforce conference, reassuring investors about its long-term growth prospects.
Meanwhile, United Airlines shares decreased by 1% due to revenue figures that fell short of analyst expectations, signaling some investor concerns amid the broader travel industry.
These mixed moves highlight investor focus on earnings surprises and future guidance as key drivers in Thursday’s early market activity.
3. As the US-China trade tensions continue to disrupt the stock markets, the investors are finding some optimism in recent remarks by President Donald Trump about the Indian Prime Minister assuring him on stopping Russian oil imports.
While India has given a cryptic response to President Trump’s claims, Indian refiners are already expecting a cut in imports from Russia.
Meanwhile, a high-level Indian delegation is already in the United States for the negotiation of a trade deal.
4. This week, Wall Street’s been a bit on edge as volatility is ticking up as US-China trade tensions heat back up.
The Cboe Volatility Index, better known as the VIX or Wall Street’s “fear gauge,” closed at 20.6, which shows investors are definitely feeling more uneasy.
Looking at the charts, things aren’t looking too smooth either. The Dow is bumping into resistance around the 45,900–46,100 zone, with support sitting lower at about 45,200–45,400, so we could see some sideways moves or even a pullback unless something big sparks a rally.
The S&P 500’s still stuck in a bearish pattern below 6,600–6,620 resistance, and it’s got support near 6,480–6,500.
The Nasdaq’s feeling the pressure too, facing resistance around 22,350–22,400 and finding some footing near 21,800–22,000.
5. Asian markets had a strong day on Thursday, thanks to another boost from the chip sector after solid gains in US tech overnight.
Japan’s Nikkei jumped 1.27%, Taiwan added 1.4%, and South Korea’s Kospi led the pack with a 2.4% surge, all hitting record highs as investors stayed upbeat about AI demand and earnings momentum.
Over in Europe, markets also ticked higher, with the Stoxx 600 inching up and luxury names in France leading the charge.
Still, the overall tone was a bit cautious, with traders digesting a mix of earnings results and keeping an eye on potential tariff moves.
The euro firmed slightly as investors waited for fresh trade headlines , leaving markets choppy but leaning optimistic.
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