Nasdaq Futures Rise as Amazon Shares Surge

U.S. futures climb as Wall Street rebounds, driven by strong earnings from Amazon and Microsoft, boosting investor optimism.

U.S. futures climbed early on Friday as Wall Street rebounded sharply, with upbeat earnings from Amazon contributing to an optimistic outlook among investors.

Nasdaq 100 futures gained over 1%, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 293 points or 0.56%. S&P 500 futures inched up by 0.41% as markets reacted positively to the news.

In Asia, South Korea’s Kospi soared over 15% after significant gains from chip giants SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped over 3%. Meanwhile, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.27%.

In after-hours trading, Amazon’s stock surged more than 9% following its better-than-expected second-quarter revenue report, bolstered primarily by its cloud computing division. This development has further fueled investor confidence regarding spending on artificial intelligence.

Apple also reported strong fiscal third-quarter revenue that exceeded expectations, driven in part by a 22% rise in iPhone sales. However, a shortfall in service revenue led to a 6% decline in its stock price.

The market recovery came after a substantial sell-off on Wednesday, where the Dow fell over 1,100 points, marking its largest one-day decline since April 2025. This downturn occurred amid concerns following the Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain steady interest rates, raising speculation about the effectiveness of their current monetary policy in combating inflation.

The ramifications of these concerns were evident in the Treasury market, with the 30-year Treasury yield rising by 6 basis points to over 5.2%, nearing its peak levels since 2007.

Richard Bernstein, global head of macro and customized investing at Janus Henderson Investors, stated, “Investors are recalibrating expectations for Fed rate cuts, reducing the excess liquidity that has fueled speculative, momentum-driven markets.” He noted that market leadership is broadening beyond the ‘Magnificent 7’ as investors increasingly favor solid fundamentals over mere hype.

Despite these fluctuations, major indexes remain on track to close the week positively: the Dow is approximately 0.5% up for the week, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite gaining about 0.4% and 0.6%, respectively.

In a related context, UK energy giant BP announced plans to sell its North Sea operations, indicating a shift in focus within the energy sector. U.K. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh described North Sea oil as a “vital national asset,” emphasizing the government’s commitment to ensuring the welfare of local communities during this transition.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan decided to keep its policy rate steady at 1%, amidst predictions that core inflation might surpass the targeted 2%. The decision was supported by an 8-1 vote, hinting at ongoing economic uncertainties.

Overall, the dynamics in both U.S. and Asian markets illustrate a volatile yet potentially recovering economic landscape, influenced heavily by earning reports and central bank policies.