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Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped just 20 points. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures were both flat.
The major averages snapped a three-session losing streak on Tuesday, supported by better-than-expected earnings from blue-chip companies including 3M and General Motors, which helped ease concerns about the health of corporate America. Chipmakers also fueled the rally, with the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) climbing 4% as investors rotated back into artificial intelligence-related names.
Investors remain focused on whether strong demand for AI infrastructure and software will continue to justify elevated valuations across the technology sector as earnings season accelerates.
“Q2 earnings season is ramping up, but with most hyperscalers yet to report, the market is still waiting for the definitive read on how AI investment is being monetized and translated into future capital spending,” said Julia Hermann, global market strategist at New York Life Investment Management.
Earnings take center stage again on Wednesday, with reports due from ServiceNow, International Business Machines, Tesla, Texas Instruments, Alphabet and AT&T. Investors will be watching closely for updates on AI spending, cloud demand, corporate technology budgets and the outlook for the second half of the year.
Meanwhile, oil extended its recent rally as escalating tensions in the Middle East raised concerns about potential supply disruptions. Brent crude climbed 2% to settle at $91.01 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 2% to $84.91.
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