U.S. stock futures experienced gains on Friday, building on the positive momentum seen at the close of the previous trading session. Major index futures, including those tracking the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500, showed increases in premarket trading ahead of the open.
Thursday’s performance was notably marked by exceptional strength in semiconductor stocks, following a record quarterly report from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which significantly boosted investor confidence in the technology sector. Financial stocks also rallied robustly: Goldman Sachs Group Inc. saw its shares increase by more than 4% post-earnings, while Morgan Stanley’s stock surged approximately 6% driven by better-than-expected fiscal results.
In the bond markets, yields remained relatively stable with the 10-year Treasury note yielding 4.17%, while the two-year note was yielding 3.56%. Additionally, market expectations as measured by the CME Group’s FedWatch tool indicated a 95% probability that the Federal Reserve would maintain current interest rates in its upcoming January meeting, suggesting relative calm regarding monetary policy adjustments.
| Index | Performance |
|---|---|
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | +0.11% |
| S&P 500 | +0.28% |
| Nasdaq 100 | +0.47% |
| Russell 2000 | +0.38% |
Looking at the ETFs that track these major indices, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) rose 0.30% to $694.33 during premarket, while the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ), which follows the Nasdaq 100 index, climbed 0.51% to $624.93.
Sector and Company Highlights
Among energy stocks, Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) edged up 0.51% in early trades after the company, alongside its partners, finalized an investment decision to expand production at the Leviathan gas reservoir. This expansion aims to ramp up supply to approximately 21 billion cubic meters annually by the end of this decade, supplying natural gas to Israel, Egypt, and Jordan.
According to data insights, Chevron shows strong price momentum across short, medium, and long-term timelines, supported by solid value metrics, indicating continued investor confidence in the stock’s fundamentals.
Paysafe Ltd. (NYSE: PSFE) experienced a 2.20% increase after announcing a strategic alliance with Pay.com, a payments orchestration platform. Under the agreement, Pay.com will be the recommended card acquirer and integrate Paysafe’s suite of payment options including Skrill, Neteller, and Paysafecard, targeting enhanced transaction approval rates and improved flexibility at checkout points globally.
Despite the recent uplift, Paysafe is reported to have weaker price trends across all monitored time frames with moderate value rankings.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT) saw its shares decline 4.19% following the fourth-quarter financial report, which revealed revenue of $3.097 billion—slightly missing analyst expectations of $3.099 billion. The company maintains favorable price trends but suffers from a poor growth ranking, signaling concerns about its expansion potential.
QXO Inc. (NYSE: QXO) also dropped 4.08% as it announced a $750 million common stock offering and preliminary fourth-quarter net sales of $2.19 billion. Despite the share price reduction, QXO exhibits robust price trends across multiple time horizons.
Biotech firm ImmunityBio Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX) gained 21.01%, following a 30% surge the previous day. It reported that preliminary net product revenue for its Anktiva treatment reached approximately $113 million for fiscal 2025, a staggering 700% year-over-year increase. The company is noted to hold strong price trends across all categories.
Market Sector Performance and Analyst Insight
On Thursday, the utilities, industrials, and real estate sectors reported the most significant gains. In contrast, the energy and healthcare sectors underperformed, closing lower on the day.
| Index | Close |
|---|---|
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | 49,442.44 (+0.60%) |
| S&P 500 | 6,944.47 (+0.26%) |
| Nasdaq Composite | 23,530.02 (+0.25%) |
| Russell 2000 | 2,674.56 (+0.86%) |
Jennifer Timmerman, Investment Strategy Analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, expressed a bullish stance for the 2026 outlook. She pointed out that the U.S. economy entered the year on firm footing, with a solid 4.3% GDP growth rate in late 2025, suggesting strong resilience despite ongoing geopolitical challenges.
Timmerman noted that manufacturing sectors remain weak; however, strength in services and consumer spending points toward broadening growth indicators. She foresees supportive factors such as anticipated Federal Reserve rate cuts, tax reductions, and advancements in AI-driven productivity underpinning wider equity market gains across sectors.
While cautioning that volatility may persist during the year, Timmerman recommended investors concentrate on long-term trends rather than daily market noise. She views the current environment as an 'all systems go' scenario for investors.
Upcoming Economic and Market Events
Market participants are focused on several key releases and events Friday, including December data on industrial production and capacity utilization scheduled for 9:15 a.m. ET. In addition, speeches by Richmond Federal Reserve President Tom Barkin at 11:00 a.m. ET and Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson at 3:30 p.m. ET will be closely monitored for insights into monetary policy directions.
Commodities and Global Market Overview
In commodities trading, crude oil futures rose 1.01% to $59.79 per barrel in early New York trade, reflecting energy market strength. Conversely, gold spot prices slipped by 0.31% to approximately $1,601.79 per ounce, slightly off from their recent highs. The U.S. Dollar Index decreased marginally by 0.04% to 99.2780.
Bitcoin saw a 1.46% decline, trading near $95,562 per coin, amid mixed signals from crypto markets.
In Asia, market performance was mixed: China’s CSI 300, Japan’s Nikkei 225, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng indices closed lower, while India’s Nifty 50, Australia’s ASX 200, and South Korea’s Kospi indices posted gains. European markets also opened the day with a varied performance.
Key Points
- U.S. stock futures advanced following strong earnings from semiconductor and financial sectors.
- Chevron moves forward with an expansion plan to increase natural gas output for Middle Eastern markets.
- J.B. Hunt and QXO reported mixed financial results causing their stock prices to decline.
- Analysts project continued economic resilience and equity market growth supportive of broad sector participation in 2026.
Risks and Uncertainties
- Persistent geopolitical tensions could introduce volatility, affecting market sentiment.
- Manufacturing sector weakness may constrain broader economic expansion.
- Upcoming Federal Reserve speeches and economic data releases could trigger market adjustments.
- Market volatility is expected to continue despite positive growth signals.
Investors should remain vigilant to these uncertainties while considering long-term growth themes.