U.S. stock futures held steady on Thursday evening following a positive session on Wall Street, as traders evaluated a mix of corporate earnings while awaiting delayed inflation data caused by the ongoing U.S. government shutdown.
S&P 500 Futures rose 0.1% to 6,781.50, Nasdaq 100 Futures gained 0.2% to 25,302.75, and Dow Jones Futures hovered around 46,919.0. The modest uptick followed solid gains in the regular session, with the S&P 500 up 0.6%, the Nasdaq Composite advancing 0.9%, and the Dow Jones adding 0.3%, supported by strength in industrials and technology shares.
Chipmaker Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) surged over 8% in after-hours trading after posting better-than-expected quarterly earnings, marking a return to profitability driven by strong demand for PC and data center chips. The company cited early benefits from its manufacturing turnaround and tighter cost management. Intel has also received recent capital boosts from Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and SoftBank Group (TYO: 9984), reinforcing optimism about its recovery.
In the industrial sector, Honeywell International (NASDAQ: HON) climbed after reporting upbeat earnings and raising its profit outlook. American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL) also gained on stronger annual guidance, while T-Mobile US (NASDAQ: TMUS) reported solid subscriber growth despite cost concerns.
Investor sentiment was further lifted by a rally in quantum computing stocks, following reports that the U.S. government is considering taking equity stakes in select quantum firms to strengthen national innovation efforts. Meanwhile, easing trade concerns added to the market’s positive tone after the White House confirmed that President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in South Korea.
However, trading remained cautious ahead of the delayed September Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, postponed due to the three-week government shutdown. With a Federal Reserve policy meeting approaching, markets are closely watching inflation data for clues on future rate cuts—expected at 25 basis points this month and another in December.