Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.5% on Friday, buoyed by a sharp rally in Intel shares, which jumped more than 19% in after-hours trading after topping first-quarter earnings forecasts and issuing a robust outlook for the current quarter. Sentiment was further supported when Tesla CEO Elon Musk indicated the company could spend roughly $3 billion with Intel, tapping its chip fabrication capabilities.
Attention now turns to a fresh wave of corporate earnings due later Friday, with results expected from Procter & Gamble, HCA, Schlumberger, Norfolk Southern, Charter Communications, and others.
On Thursday, US stocks ended lower in regular trading: the Dow slipped 0.36%, the S&P 500 lost 0.41%, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.89%, dragged down primarily by technology and financial shares. Investors also continued to weigh geopolitical risks in the Middle East, as peace talks between the US and Iran remained stalled.
