US stock futures rose slightly early Thursday as investors weighed promising corporate earnings against concerns about an escalating US-China trade war.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) nudged up 0.1%, while those on the S&P 500 (ES=F) put on roughly 0.2%. Contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) moved up 0.3%, on the heels of a choppy but broadly winning day for stocks on Wall Street.
Markets are bracing for more volatility as trade tensions between the US and China intensify. On Wednesday, President Trump confirmed a trade war is underway, even as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested the US-China tariff pause could be extended.
The conflicting messages follow a series of threats by Trump to further restrict trade with China in response to new sanctions and export controls from Beijing.
At the same time, sentiment has got a boost from strong quarterly results from Wall Street banks and high hopes for more Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts this year. On Thursday, earnings season rolls on with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) and Charles Schwab (SCHW).
In after-hours reports, United Airlines (UAL) shares slipped as downbeat revenue disappointed investors. Meanwhile, Salesforce (CRM) shares advanced after the cloud software giant issued a strong outlook as it steps up its AI push.
Another headwind, the US government shutdown, entered its third week, The stoppage, which has deprived the Fed and Wall Street of key data on the economy, is increasingly expected to continue into November.
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