U.S. stock index futures advanced modestly on Monday, with market participants weighing the situation in the Middle East against the backdrop of a busy earnings calendar headlined by prominent technology firms. Gains in S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures signaled renewed optimism following recent declines.
At 5:09 p.m. (Bangkok Time), S&P 500 futures rose 0.32%, while contracts tied to the Nasdaq-100 gained 0.64%. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average moved up by 138 points, or 0.26%. These moves came as investors digested news of another round of U.S. military action in Iran, marking the ninth consecutive night of strikes.
Market sentiment improved, hours before the morning session began in the U.S., after Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, indicated that diplomatic initiatives remain possible. Baghaei noted continued message exchanges via intermediaries and stated that negotiations could take place if aligned with national interests.
Last Friday, major U.S. indices ended lower, influenced primarily by underperformance in semiconductor stocks. The S&P 500 registered a 1.01% loss, the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.4%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated by 0.77%. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH), which tracks key chipmakers, recorded its third decline in the last four weeks, dropping nearly 9%.
Despite these losses, U.S. markets rebounded in premarket activity as investors anticipated a week filled with significant corporate earnings. Results from Alphabet and Tesla, both members of the so-called “Magnificent Seven,” are expected on Wednesday, followed by Intel’s quarterly report on Thursday.
The week will also see earnings releases from companies such as General Motors, AT&T, IBM, ServiceNow, Verizon, as well as major airlines including Southwest and American Airlines.
