U.S. equity futures climbed on Tuesday, supported by renewed gains in semiconductor stocks ahead of a busy week for corporate earnings. Investors balanced optimism in the technology sector against ongoing concerns around US trade measures and heightened Middle East unrest.
At 4:58 p.m. (Bangkok Time), Contracts for the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.34%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures saw increases of 0.55% and 1.39%, respectively. The technology sector continued to rebound, with chipmakers leading early gains following a positive start to the week. South Korea’s KOSPI Composite also posted a gain of more than 2%, buoyed by advances in domestic semiconductor shares.
Nvidia moved higher before the opening bell after the artificial intelligence chip producer disclosed a new investment in cloud services firm Nebius. Positive sentiment in technology helped offset market unease stemming from shifts in U.S. trade policy and persistent geopolitical risk.
On Monday, President Donald Trump introduced new 50% tariffs affecting several Canadian exports, including beer, milk, hockey sticks, and chemicals. The tariffs, due to be enacted in 30 days, come after U.S. allegations of unfair trading practices by Canada. Canadian oil imports were specifically excluded from these measures. The tariffs have increased concerns of another potential cycle of retaliatory trade actions between the two countries.
In the Middle East, U.S. Central Command launched air strikes on Iran for a tenth consecutive night after Trump formally ended a ceasefire. Iranian forces have responded with attacks on U.S. military positions in the region, while allied Houthi groups in Yemen have announced a blockade restricting maritime access to Saudi Arabia.
This week’s earnings announcements remain a focal point for traders, with attention on technology spending—particularly in artificial intelligence—and executive commentary about prospects for the latter part of the year. Alphabet, IBM, and Tesla are among major companies set to release earnings later in the week. On Tuesday morning, updates from General Motors and 3M are scheduled, and Chubb is expected to report after market close.
