US stock futures were steady on Friday after a powerful rally in the previous session, during which the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite notched fresh record highs and logged their strongest monthly gains since 2020. On Thursday, the S&P 500 advanced 1.02%, the Nasdaq climbed 0.89%, and the Dow added 1.62%.
The market’s advance was underpinned by a solid first-quarter earnings season, which helped counterbalance ongoing worries about the protracted US–Iran conflict and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz—a disruption that has unleashed a historic shock to global energy supplies.
On the corporate front, Apple shares gained nearly 2% in after-hours trading after the company beat both earnings and revenue estimates, even as iPhone sales came in below expectations. Investors are now looking ahead to a fresh wave of results due Friday, including reports from Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Colgate-Palmolive, Estée Lauder, Cboe Global Markets, and others.
