U.S. stock futures were slightly higher at the start of the week, with investors bracing for a busy stretch of corporate earnings and long-awaited economic data releases. Semiconductor maker Onsemi is among the first major companies set to report on Monday, while Japanese equities advanced after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a decisive election victory.
U.S. futures nudge higher
Futures tied to the main U.S. indices pointed modestly upward early Monday. By 03:43 ET, Dow futures were ahead by 87 points, or 0.2%, S&P 500 futures had added 0.1%, and Nasdaq 100 futures were also up around 0.1%.
The gains follow a strong end to last week, when Wall Street recovered from earlier losses driven by concerns over the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence on parts of the software industry. On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above the 50,000 level for the first time, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite climbed by nearly 2% and just over 2%, respectively.
Some mega-cap stocks lagged the broader rebound. Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) fell 5.6% as investors reacted cautiously to signs the company is preparing to sharply increase spending on AI. Other tech heavyweights, including Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), have also outlined sizeable investment plans, but uncertainty remains over how quickly those outlays will translate into durable profits.
ON Semi in the earnings spotlight
ON Semiconductor (NASDAQ:ON) is scheduled to report quarterly results after the market closes on Monday, making it an early focal point in this week’s earnings calendar. The chipmaker’s prior guidance for fourth-quarter revenue and profit broadly matched market expectations.
Growth in power-management products used in AI data centres has helped offset softer demand from the automotive sector, where slowing electric vehicle sales in North America and Europe have reduced spending on silicon carbide chips. Bloomberg consensus forecasts call for adjusted earnings of $0.63 per share on revenue of $1.53 billion.
Elsewhere on the earnings front, reports are also due this week from Datadog (NASDAQ:DDOG), Spotify (NYSE:SPOT), Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) and Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT).
Japan markets lift after election result
Asian markets traded higher after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi scored a major win in a snap election held over the weekend. The vote came just 110 days after she became Japan’s first female prime minister, adding to the significance of the result.
Media reports suggest Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party secured a rare supermajority in the lower house of parliament, potentially smoothing the path for increased public spending and tax cuts within a stable political framework.
“Calm may be on the way for Japan’s markets now the election is out of the way,” said Thomas Mathews, Head of Asia Pacific Markets at Capital Economics. He added that a recent sell-off in Japanese government bonds is unlikely to persist and that the yen could strengthen.
Gold ticks higher
Gold prices edged up in European trading, with silver also advancing, after a volatile week for precious metals. Price swings were driven by a combination of muted safe-haven demand, profit-taking and uncertainty around the outlook for U.S. monetary policy.
Attention this week is firmly on key U.S. economic indicators, particularly the nonfarm payrolls report and consumer price inflation data, both of which are closely watched by the Federal Reserve when setting interest rates.
Oil eases on diplomatic signals
Oil prices moved lower as signs of easing tensions between the U.S. and Iran weighed on sentiment. Comments over the weekend indicating that indirect nuclear talks will continue helped reduce fears of an escalation in the Middle East.
A firmer U.S. dollar ahead of major economic data releases also pressured crude markets, which had already fallen around 2% last week. Brent futures were last down 1.1% at $67.32 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude slipped 1.0% to $62.92 a barrel.