U.S. equity futures were mixed Thursday, as technology shares surged after Nvidia, Salesforce and CrowdStrike delivered earnings that supported risk appetite. The advance came as investors shifted attention toward the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole Symposium and fresh signals on interest-rate policy.
At 4:24 p.m. (Bangkok Time), Nasdaq 100 futures rose 1.01%, reflecting strength in big-cap technology and semiconductor names. S&P 500 futures gained 0.41%, while contracts tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average moved 0.05% lower as it has fewer tech stocks.
Nvidia was the main driver of the pre-market move. Its shares climbed 7% before the open after quarterly results topped expectations and management indicated that demand tied to artificial intelligence should remain strong into next year. The update helped reduce concern that the company’s rapid expansion in AI chips could be difficult to maintain.
The reaction also positioned Nvidia to reverse a recent trading pattern in which its stock had fallen even after better-than-expected financial updates. The shares slipped more than 1% on Wednesday before the results, marking their eighth decline in nine sessions.
A separate report from The Information late Wednesday said Nvidia had agreed to acquire Hugging Face, an open-source model platform, for $12.9 billion. The report followed comments from Chief Executive Jensen Huang emphasizing Nvidia’s expanding AI commitments and saying his main regret was not investing earlier and more aggressively in AI labs.
Other chip-related stocks gained alongside Nvidia. Marvell Technology rose nearly 5% in premarket trading, while Micron and Arm each advanced about 4%.
With Nvidia’s results now absorbed, the next major focus for markets is Jackson Hole, where Federal Reserve officials are set to discuss the outlook for monetary policy. Kevin Warsh is expected to speak Friday, though investors have little clarity on what message he may deliver.
Treasury yields have steadied after last week’s jump as markets assess Treasury intervention in the bond market and expectations that the Fed may leave rates unchanged. Weekly jobless claims data due Thursday will provide another read on labor-market conditions.
Corporate earnings remain active. Best Buy is scheduled to report before Thursday’s open, while Workday, Affirm and Gap are expected after the close. Investors will also review results from Dollar General and Dollar Tree for signs of pressure on household finances. The discount chains have drawn more higher-income customers in recent quarters through varied price offerings, and management commentary may shed light on changes within the K-shaped economy.
