US stock market today: S&P 500, Nasdaq futures surge up to 1.5% amid fresh hopes of US-Iran peace talks; crude falls(Bloomberg)AI Quick ReadUS stock market today: The US stock market's flagship indices are set to open for a positive start, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq expected to surge over 1%. Fresh hopes of a resolution to the Middle East crisis, set to enter its third month soon, moderation in crude oil prices, along with stock-specific triggers, are expected to drive the Wall Street higher.
Futures for all three indices — S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 — were trading higher by 0.43, 0.14% and 1.35%, respectively, at the time of writing this report after trading flat earlier. Both S&P and Nasdaq were near 52-week high levels.
The sentiment received a fresh fillip following a Reuters report, citing a Pakistani government source, stating that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was expected to arrive in Islamabad on Friday night to resume peace talks with the US.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran, but maintained the naval blockade of Iranian ports, suggesting that the conflict was not yet over. Israel and Lebanon, meanwhile, extended their ceasefire for three weeks at a meeting brokered by Trump.
The trend for oil prices also reversed. Hopes of peace talks led to profit-taking in the international crude prices, with Brent crude futures turning negative by 0.9% and WTI crude recording a steeper 2% decline.
Despite this decline, oil prices were at elevated levels. Brent held above $104 and WTI around the $93.8 mark.
Stock-specific action is also expected amid the ongoing earnings season, with semiconductor names likely to hog the limelight.
Shares of Intel jumped nearly 29% in pre-market trading after delivering a blockbuster sales forecast. Vested Finance said that the outlook signals that the chipmaker is finally capitalising on the massive buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure, reigniting investor interest in a stock that had long lagged its peers.
The optimism is spilling over globally, it said, as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company shares were also up sharply as regulators eased investment limits, while in Europe, SAP is gaining after strong earnings helped ease concerns that AI could disrupt traditional software models.
"This strength is reinforcing a broader trend. Semiconductor stocks continue to lead the market, with investors betting that demand for AI chips will remain structurally strong," Vested Finance observed.
The brokerage observed that the US stock market is being influenced by AI-driven earnings on one hand and macro risks from energy markets on the other hand, painting a mixed picture for Wall Street.
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Saloni Goel has over nine years of experience as a business journalist, with a strong track record of covering the financial markets. Over the course of her career, she has reported extensively on global and domestic equities, IPO market activity, commodities, and broader macroeconomic trends. Her reporting reflects a keen eye for detail, data-driven analysis, and the ability to spot emerging themes early.
At Mint, Saloni has been part of the markets team for nearly two years, where she currently works as Chief Content Producer. In this role, she plays a key part in shaping market coverage, driving editorial strategy, and ensuring timely, accurate, and insightful reporting across. She has been closely involved in breaking news coverage and in crafting stories that help decode the complex financial developments.
Before joining Mint, Saloni worked with some of India’s leading business newsrooms, including The Economic Times and Business Standard. Throughout her career, she has worn multiple hats—ranging from reporting and editing to contributing in-depth features and identifying new storytelling formats and market trends.
Her experience in fast-paced digital newsrooms has given her an edge in simplifying complex market concepts without losing analytical depth. Outside of work, Saloni enjoys reading books and spending time with her pet.