Futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 are up this morning, signaling a strong start for Wall Street in 2026. The positive sentiment is driven by optimism around AI, with companies like Baidu and Shanghai Biren Technology Co. making gains. On Wednesday, chip stocks and tech giants like Tesla and Meta Platforms saw declines. Despite this, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 had double-digit gains in 2025. U.S. President Trump delayed higher tariffs on certain goods, and investors are awaiting the release of the U.S. S&P Global Manufacturing PMI. Euro Stoxx 50 hits a new record high today. Eurozone’s Manufacturing PMI data was released, showing weaker than expected results. Financial markets in China and Japan are closed for the New Year holiday. In pre-market trading, Tesla, Nvidia, Micron Technology, and other stocks are moving higher. RH and Wayfair also saw gains after the tariff delay announcement. Hurco (HURC) is in the earnings spotlight today.

Read more at Barchart: Stock Index Futures Climb in Strong Start to 2026