FactSet U.S. Daily Market Preview

US equity futures point to a modestly firmer open. Asian markets were mixed, while European equities were trading lower. Today’s focus is on improving sentiment around AI and select cyclicals, with strong results and capex guidance from TSMC underpinning semiconductors and AI-linked names, while investment bank earnings provided support for financials. At the same time, oil retreated as geopolitical risk premiums faded after President Trump signaled he would hold off on Iran strikes, easing pressure across energy markets. Meanwhile, firmer US economic data and upbeat regional manufacturing surveys reinforced the narrative of economic resilience, prompting a backup in sh...

US equity futures point to a steadier open. Asian markets traded mixed overnight, while European equity opened mixed. Today’s focus is on a rotation away from mega-cap technology toward small caps, cyclicals, and defensives, with breadth improving as equal-weight indices outperformed despite headline index weakness. Bank earnings for a second day failed to impress, reinforcing pressure on money-center banks, while ongoing volatility was driven by mixed macro signals, geopolitical uncertainty around Iran and Venezuela, and continued scrutiny of housing affordability and defense spending from the White House. Policy remains a key theme as Fed officials delivered mixed messages on...

S&P futures are down (0.2%) and pointing to a slightly lower open today. Asian equities ended mostly higher on Wednesday. Japan’s Nikkei surged on election speculation and yen weakness, while Greater China markets traded mix as Chinese authorities moved to raise margin finance ratios, dampening enthusiasm. European markets continue to advance in early trading.

Companies Mentioned: Apple, Qualcomm, Genco Shipping, Cerebras Systems

S&P futures are pointing to a flat open today, as markets brace for December CPI data and the kickoff of earnings season with major banks reporting. Asian equities ended mostly higher on Tuesday. Japan’s Nikkei surged over +3%, driven by snap election speculation and yen weakness. Australia and Taiwan also posted gains, while Thailand was the only major market to close lower. European markets are mixed with the STOXX 600 hitting a fresh all-time high. The CAC is weighed by political uncertainty in France.

Companies Mentioned: TSMC, NVIDIA, Lululemon

S&P futures are down (0.7%) and pointing to a lower open today. Asian equities ended Monday trading broadly higher. Mainland China and Hong Kong technology stocks led the rally after policy announcements supported several sectors. Australia and Taiwan also posted gains, while Thailand was the only major market to close lower. European markets are mostly lower in early trading. The Sentix investor confidence index for the Eurozone, due today, will provide insight into early 2026 sentiment, though caution persists following a downward trend at the end of 2025.

Companies Mentioned: Warner Bros. Discovery, Sun Country Airlines, Prudential Financial, AT...

US equity futures point to a flat open ahead of key payrolls risk, with Asian markets mostly higher and European equities trading firmer. Today focus is on elevated event risk ahead of Friday’s US payrolls report, a potential Supreme Court ruling on IEEPA tariffs as soon as Friday, and the start of Q4 earnings next week led by major banks. Defense stocks outperformed following renewed discussion of a 50% increase in Pentagon spending, reinforcing a broader pro-cyclical rotation away from mega-cap technology. In addition, reports that China may approve limited Nvidia H200 chip imports as early as Q1 are be...

US equity futures point to a softer open, with Asian markets generally weaker and European equities narrowly mixed. Today’s focus is on a pause in the recent pro-cyclical rally as geopolitical risks and upcoming event risk weigh on sentiment. Energy and financials underperformed amid renewed uncertainty around Venezuela developments, while Trump’s social media comments on restricting institutional housing investment and curbing defense-sector buybacks added to sector-specific volatility. Moreover, macro data sent mixed signals, leaving Fed expectations broadly unchanged. Investors are now looking ahead to Friday’s payrolls report, the pending Supreme Court ruling on Trump tariffs, and the ne...

US equity futures mixed with S&P down 0.1%, following Tuesday's gains, which saw new ATH for Dow and S&P logged its first fresh record close since 24-Dec. Bonds firmer. US 10-year yields down, 2-year flat. Dollar is little changed. Oil down. Gold lower. Industrial metals mixed. Bitcoin is softer. Elsewhere, European equity markets are mostly firmer and Asia's are mixed. Sentiment remains bullish. More sell-side commentary are on Tuesday talking up valuation argument for European stocks. In addition, underlying resilience in macro backdrop another supportive factor. AI-narrative into the new year has focused on the positives rather than...

US equity futures firmer with S&P pointing up. US yield down on both short and long ends. Gilts up, dollar is softer, oil is down, gold up. Industrial metals higher. Bitcoin extends recent move back. Asia equities ended mostly higher again Tuesday and European equity markets are mostly firmer, following Monday's positive close. Market is looking through recent geopolitical developments. Strength in cyclicals, tech gains and resource stocks supporting regional equity markets. Defense stocks benefiting from geopolitics and ongoing push across Europe to ramp up defense spending. In general, sentiment positive, with leading benchmarks have been extending to...

US equity futures point to a positive open today, with Asian markets broadly higher and European equities trading mostly firmer. Focus is on the heightened geopolitical tensions after American forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Potential systematic moves largely revolve around crude oil. The longer term price outlook seems skewed to the downside. Asia equities set Venezuela developments to one side and continued their AI-inspired rally, while focus in Europe is on oil companies.

Companies mentioned: Cisco Systems, L3Harris Technologies, Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros Discovery

US equity futures point to a firmer open, with Asian markets broadly higher and European equities trading mostly firmer. Today focus is on continued pressure in US equities after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell for a fourth straight session, even as markets closed out 2025 with double-digit annual gains; Attention also remains on the US macro backdrop after initial jobless claims came in below consensus, reinforcing views of a still-resilient labor market and shaping expectations for the Fed’s rate-cut path in 2026; Moreover, investor sentiment is weighing fading year-end seasonal support against longer-term positives, with markets now looking ahead to...

S&P futures are pointing to a flat open today ahead of data on durable goods orders and Q3 GDP updates. Asian equities ended mostly higher on Tuesday, though momentum faded in afternoon trade. Japan’s Nikkei was flat, while the Topix saw modest gains. Greater China markets were narrowly mixed. European markets are modestly higher in early trades.

Companies Mentioned: NVIDIA

US equity futures point to a modestly firmer open, while Asian markets traded broadly higher and European equities edged up. Today focus is on disinflation momentum and central bank cross-currents, after a softer-than-expected US core CPI reinforced the dovish Fed narrative and helped drive a rebound in technology and AI-linked stocks; Attention remains on Japan after the Bank of Japan delivered a widely expected rate hike while maintaining accommodative guidance, weakening the yen and pushing JGB yields above 2%; AI sentiment remains a key driver following Micron’s upbeat outlook and renewed optimism around AI funding and capex, even as ma...

US equity futures point to a mixed open, with Asian markets mostly lower and European equities trading slightly higher. Today focus is on continued risk aversion in US equities. Moreover, the global rate backdrop remains a headwind as markets digest a hawkish tilt in central bank expectations, with investors increasingly focused on upcoming US inflation data and jobless claims for confirmation on whether policy easing can resume next year. In addition, corporate developments remained in focus as Micron guided above expectations and lifted medium-term capital expenditure plans tied to HBM demand, offering selective support to memory-related names but failing...

S&P futures are pointing to a higher open today. Asian equities ended Wednesday trading mixed, with tech-driven gains in China and South Korea offsetting weakness in Japan and Australia. European markets are higher, led by the FTSE100, which is currently up +1.3% on strength in banks, homebuilders, and energy stocks.

Companies Mentioned: Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, Tesla, Apple, Alphabet, Amazon

S&P futures are down (0.4%) and pointing to another lower open today. Focus is on the nonfarm payrolls and unemployment figures scheduled to release later today. Asian equities ended Tuesday with sharp losses from Japan and Hong Kong. Technology-oriented benchmarks bore the brunt of the selloff, as concerns over AI valuations and weaker regional currencies weighed heavily on sentiment. Australia, India, and Singapore saw more modest declines, while Southeast Asia outperformed slightly but also ended lower. European markets are narrowly mixed. Weakness in technology stocks and defense contractors is offset by slight gains in financials and consumer staples.

US futures edging higher at start of final full trading week of the year. European stocks opened higher and Asian equities are weaker. Treasury yields down 2 bps along curve while JGBs little changed. Dollar is strongest against kiwi after RBNZ governor's comments, while yen firmed against all majors. Crude and gold both higher. Bitcoin strengthening. Europe faces pivotal week as it works on Ukraine peace plans and attempts to reach loan agreement on funding Kyiv's war effort. Ukraine President Zelenskyy reiterated that ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia along current frontlines would be fair, but not Russia's demand for parts...

US S&P futures slightly firmer but Nasdaq lower. European opened with modest gains and Asian's broadly higher. Bond yields mixed. US 10-year up 2 bps at 4.2%. Gilts off 1 bps at 4.5% after soft UK data. Dollar slightly firmer versus yen and sterling, softer elsewhere. Oil up. Gold edges higher. Industrial metals mixed. Bitcoin gains. Economists are aligning views with ECB Executive Board member Schnabel that next move in rates is likely to be a hike. Bloomberg survey of economists showed 60% of respondents think the ECB is more likely to raise rates than lower them, which is a meaningful shift from...

US equity futures point to a weaker open, with Asian markets mostly lower and European equities trading softer. Today’s focus is the Fed’s 25 bp rate cut, which came with three dissents. Powell emphasized policy is now within the broad neutral range and that the Fed is well positioned to wait, while the balance-sheet decision was viewed as supportive for risk sentiment. Market attention also remains on the ongoing global hawkish shift, with recent ECB commentary reinforcing expectations for the next move to be a rate increase. Moreover, AI remains in focus ahead of updates from Oracle, Broadcom, and...

S&P futures are slightly higher, up +0.1%, as investors await the Fed policy decision later today. Markets are largely pricing in a 25 bps rate cut, though analysts suggest the possibility of a hawkish cut, where the Fed could signal a higher threshold for further rate reductions through adjusted language. Multiple dissents are anticipated, reflecting both hawkish and dovish views within the committee. The dot plot is expected to remain unchanged, indicating 25 bps cuts projected for 2026 and 2027 respectively. Asian equities were mostly softer today, with modest losses seen in Japan, Korea, and Mainland China. European markets are also trading lower...