U.S. Stock Futures Reach Intraday Highs as Nasdaq 100 Rises

U.S. stock futures climbed in early trading Thursday, with Nasdaq 100 futures posting notable gains ahead of key economic data, including the latest CPI inflation report. This positive pre-market tone is driven in part by strong earnings guidance from major tech and chip companies, helping counter recent sell-offs in AI and big-tech stocks. Futures tied to the S&P 500 also moved higher, signaling a potential rebound after recent market pressure.

Investors are balancing optimism from better-than-expected tech sector results with caution as they await U.S. inflation figures that could influence Federal Reserve policy direction for 2026. The broader market rally in futures comes amid narrow gains in European bourses as global markets price in central bank decisions this week.

Why this matters:

Nasdaq 100 futures up about 0.5%, leading gains in U.S. stock indexes before the bell.

S&P 500 futures also higher, suggesting broader equity strength beyond just tech.

Investors remain cautious ahead of inflation data that could impact expectations for interest rate changes.

Market context: After a stretch of declines in major indexes — including a multi-day drop in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq on Wednesday — today’s futures action suggests traders are positioning for a possible rebound if economic data softens or earnings continue to surprise.