U.S. stock futures declined modestly ahead of the Thursday trading session, pressured by a downturn in global semiconductor shares and rising concerns over ongoing military activity in the Middle East. The moves follow recent optimism sparked by softer inflation data and better-than-expected results from major U.S. banks.
At 4:16 p.m. (Bangkok Time), contracts on the S&P 500 dipped 0.04%, while the Nasdaq 100 futures lost 0.26%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures held near flat but maintained a slightly negative tone. In Wednesday’s regular session, the Dow index climbed 0.29% higher, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose 0.38% and 0.62%, respectively.
Technology-related equities were positioned lower, reflecting further weakness seen overnight in chipmakers across both Europe and Asia. In premarket trading, Nvidia shares slipped 1.00%, Advanced Micro Devices dropped 2.17%, Micron Technology was also down 2.02%, and Broadcom fell 0.73%.
The AI infrastructure sector is drawing scrutiny as market participants question the sustainability of recent investment trends, while President Donald Trump promoted their future contributions to jobs and tax revenue.
Heightened geopolitical risk remains a focal point, with U.S. military actions against Iran entering a fifth consecutive day amid retaliatory threats from Tehran. This unsettled backdrop coincides with upcoming releases of U.S. economic indicators, including initial jobless claims, retail sales, the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index, and pending home sales.
Markets previously found support from a lower-than-anticipated U.S. producer price index, which pointed to softening inflation and reinforced the view that the Federal Reserve might hold interest rates steady. Robust earnings from leading financial institutions further supported sentiment, while declining Treasury yields aided growth-focused sectors such as mega-cap technology.
Investors continue to monitor earnings reports, with UnitedHealth scheduled to disclose results before the market opens and Netflix to follow after the close.
