Wall Street was poised to open higher on Thursday as investors turned their focus to corporate earnings in the absence of key economic data delayed by the ongoing U.S. government shutdown.
Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.4%, Dow Jones industrials 0.3%, and Nasdaq 0.6% ahead of the opening bell. Gold prices continued to soar beyond record levels.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services jumped more than 12% after reporting stronger-than-expected quarterly profits, while Salesforce gained about 6% after raising its 2030 revenue target to $60 billion.
Chipmaker TSMC reported a 40% surge in quarterly profit to $15 billion, driven by strong AI demand, pushing its shares up 2% in New York trading.
Asian markets mostly advanced, led by Japan’s Nikkei 225, which climbed 1.3%, and South Korea’s Kospi, up 2.5% to a record high. Gold prices rose 1.4% to $4,262 per ounce, boosting Australian mining stocks.