US stock futures inched higher on Thursday after the major indexes ended mixed in the prior session, as investors shifted focus to a fresh wave of corporate earnings. Markets are bracing for results from several heavyweight names, including ConocoPhillips, Airbnb, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Traders are also closely watching SpaceX, with insider lock-up restrictions set to expire today. The change will allow major shareholders to sell part of their stakes in Elon Musk’s rocket company. On Wednesday, SpaceX shares tumbled nearly 14% after the company reported a sharp increase in capital expenditures, stoking concerns about heavy artificial intelligence–related spending.
In contrast, Nvidia rose 3.4% after Musk said during SpaceX’s earnings call that the company would rely exclusively on Nvidia chips for its AI infrastructure. Those gains helped drive the Dow to another record high, even as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite came under pressure, weighed down by weakness across the broader technology sector.