US equity futures advanced to fresh records on Thursday as an earnings-driven tech rally continued to buoy broader markets. S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures edged higher to new all-time highs, while Dow futures climbed above 50,000, moving closer to their record peak.
Optimistic guidance from AI-related companies underpinned sentiment across equities, helping offset pressure from elevated energy prices linked to disruptions in the Persian Gulf and a still-hawkish outlook for the Federal Reserve. The bullish tone was further supported by a 0.5% increase in the retail sales control group, a key input for GDP calculations.
Cisco shares jumped 15% in premarket trading after the company delivered strong earnings and forward guidance, while announcing plans to cut 4,000 jobs as part of a productivity push. Nvidia gained another 2%, extending its rally to 15% so far this month after the US cleared 10 Chinese companies to receive its H200 chips.
The announcement came during President Trump’s visit to Beijing alongside several US tech CEOs, with both sides so far maintaining a de-escalatory tone since trade tensions peaked last year.
