U.S. equity futures climbed on Thursday, led by a pronounced after-hours advance in Microsoft, after the software giant reported quarterly results that beat expectations and offered reassuring commentary on spending tied to artificial intelligence. The move higher in futures, however, was restrained by rising geopolitical anxieties in the Middle East and a string of cautious signals from the Federal Reserve communicated at its most recent meeting.
Market moves at the open
By 05:54 ET (09:54 GMT) S&P 500 futures had risen 31 points, or 0.4%. Nasdaq 100 futures were up 208 points, or 0.8%, while the Dow futures contract added 146 points, or 0.3%.
Context for the session
Futures were recovering after a broad sell-off on Wall Street a day earlier, where steep losses in technology names, and in particular chipmakers, pressured major indexes. Asian markets displayed volatile trade with the chip-heavy KOSPI swinging between gains and losses, while European equities inched higher.
Microsoft's results drive after-hours strength
Microsoft Corporation jumped nearly 9% in aftermarket trade on Wednesday after reporting fiscal fourth-quarter results that beat expectations on both revenue and earnings. Azure, the company’s cloud unit, stood out as a primary contributor, as demand for cloud services and artificial intelligence lifted the segment past consensus estimates. Microsoft also forecast stronger-than-expected sales and cloud revenue for the current quarter.
The company trimmed its capital expenditure outlook for the 2026 calendar year to $175 billion from an earlier $190 billion projection. Microsoft’s fiscal first quarter capex forecast was also slightly below market forecasts at $50 billion. For many investors who had been concerned that aggressive AI and data center spending would materially erode margins, the numbers and guidance provided a measure of relief.
Meta's weaker print dents tech sentiment
Countering some of the optimism around Microsoft, Meta Platforms Inc slid about 7% in after-hours trade after reporting second-quarter results that fell short of expectations and offering third-quarter guidance that also missed estimates. Meta raised the lower bound of its 2026 capital expenditure outlook to a range of $130 billion to $145 billion, up from an earlier $125 billion to $145 billion band.
Meta’s results underscored the tension companies are facing between ramping up AI investments and absorbing restructuring costs, with those expenses largely offsetting gains delivered by its core digital advertising business.
Other tech names to report
Microsoft and Meta’s reports arrive ahead of other major technology earnings scheduled for the week, including Amazon.com and Apple, which are set to release results later on Thursday.
Wall Street reaction to chips and Fed signals
Stock indexes on Wednesday had been notably weaker, with the S&P 500 sliding 1.5%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 2.2%, and the Nasdaq Composite dropping 1.7%. The declines were driven in part by a continued rout in semiconductor and broader technology stocks as investors wrestled with stretched AI-related valuations and persistent high levels of spending in the sector.
The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged at its most recent meeting, as widely anticipated. Nonetheless, the meeting highlighted a growing split among policymakers over whether further rate hikes will be required in the face of sticky inflation. According to the reporting, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh offered few clear signals beyond restating the central bank’s 2% inflation target without outlining concrete policy steps.
Outlook
U.S. futures opened higher as investors digested mixed corporate results and central bank communications. While Microsoft’s results and guidance lent support to tech and cloud-oriented parts of the market, lingering geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, the Fed’s internal division on rate policy, and disappointing prints from peers such as Meta have kept upside in check.
Traders will be watching upcoming earnings from additional large-cap tech companies and monitoring geopolitical news for direction in the near term.