FX.co ★ US Futures Jump on Upbeat Tech Earnings

U.S. stock futures surged on Thursday, propelled by strong earnings reports from two major technology companies. In after-hours trading, Microsoft rose over 7%, exceeding expectations for its fiscal third-quarter earnings and revenue, primarily due to impressive results from its Azure cloud segment. Similarly, Meta Platforms saw a near 6% increase after surpassing first-quarter revenue forecasts. During Wednesday's regular trading session, the markets initially dipped following data indicating that the U.S. economy contracted by 0.3% in the first quarter—the first such decline in three years. Nevertheless, investors largely dismissed concerns about a recession and took advantage of the opportunity to purchase stocks at lower prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 closed with gains of 0.35% and 0.15%, respectively, while the Nasdaq Composite saw a marginal decline of 0.09%. There is growing optimism among investors that tariff-related pressures may have reached their peak during the Trump administration. Looking forward, anticipation builds as investors await additional key earnings and economic reports on Thursday, particularly the results from Apple and Amazon.