Nasdaq futures rise; Trump supports AI industry

Andrew Dubbs
3 Min Read
Nasdaq futures rise; Trump supports AI industry

U.S. stock index futures rose on Wednesday. Those tied to the tech-heavy Nasdaq led the gains. Investors cheered President Donald Trump’s multi-billion-dollar support for the AI technology industry.

At 5:31 a.m. ET, Dow futures were up 57 points, or 0.13%. S&P 500 futures were up 26 points, or 0.43%. Nasdaq 100 futures were up 177.75 points, or 0.82%.

Netflix shares soared more than 13% after the streaming giant beat fourth-quarter expectations. It beat on both the top and bottom lines. It also raised its revenue expectations for 2025.

Other streaming firms such as Roku and Walt Disney added 1.3% and 4.2%, respectively. “Stellar subscriber figures such as these would be hard to beat. Netflix is seen as a litmus test for the entire tech sector.

The sector could be well placed to report strong earnings figures in the coming months,” said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB. Oracle gained 7.8% a day after Trump’s announcement. He said the company would make a $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure.

This would be with OpenAI and SoftBank in a joint venture called Stargate.

nasdaq futures and AI support

However, there was no clarity on funding.

Server makers including Dell and Super Micro added 3.5% and 3%, respectively. AI bellwethers Microsoft added 1.5% and Nvidia rose 2.8%. The news also boosted growth and productivity expectations.

It did this more than it fueled the ballooning debt worries,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote Bank. Data pointing to a strong economy as underlying inflation cools has aided risk-taking on Wall Street since last week. Trump’s moderate approach to tariffs has also helped.

The benchmark S&P 500 is now less than 1% away from all-time highs. Easing Treasury yields have also encouraged risk-taking in stocks. However, Trump has warned that tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, Canada, and the European Union could be issued on Feb.

1. This is a reminder for markets that risks of a potential trade war and fresh inflation pressures still prevail. Traders expect the Federal Reserve to leave interest rates unchanged when it meets next week.

They anticipate the central bank to deliver its first rate cut this year in July, according to data compiled by LSEG. Among other movers, United Airlines advanced 3.6% after forecasting a stronger-than-expected profit in the current quarter. It is betting on robust travel demand and improved pricing power.

Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, and Abbott are among those expected to report quarterly earnings before markets open.

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Andrew covers investing for considerable.com. He writes on the latest news in the stock market and the economy.