Ford and Geely Explore Strategic Manufacturing Partnership in Europe 
Baidu Approves $5 Billion Share Buyback and Plans First-Ever Dividend in 2026 
Nvidia Nears $20 Billion OpenAI Investment as AI Funding Race Intensifies 
SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off 
SpaceX Pushes for Early Stock Index Inclusion Ahead of Potential Record-Breaking IPO 
Nasdaq Proposes Fast-Track Rule to Accelerate Index Inclusion for Major New Listings 
Sony Q3 Profit Jumps on Gaming and Image Sensors, Full-Year Outlook Raised 
Australian Scandium Project Backed by Richard Friedland Poised to Support U.S. Critical Minerals Stockpile 
Toyota’s Surprise CEO Change Signals Strategic Shift Amid Global Auto Turmoil 
Once Upon a Farm Raises Nearly $198 Million in IPO, Valued at Over $724 Million 
AMD Shares Slide Despite Earnings Beat as Cautious Revenue Outlook Weighs on Stock 
Tencent Shares Slide After WeChat Restricts YuanBao AI Promotional Links 
TSMC Eyes 3nm Chip Production in Japan with $17 Billion Kumamoto Investment 
Anthropic Eyes $350 Billion Valuation as AI Funding and Share Sale Accelerate 
Uber Ordered to Pay $8.5 Million in Bellwether Sexual Assault Lawsuit 
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge 
CK Hutchison Launches Arbitration After Panama Court Revokes Canal Port Licences 
On Wednesday night, S&P 500 futures showed signs of improvement following a challenging day for major stock indices. The Federal Reserve opted to maintain interest rates but hinted at the unlikelihood of a rate cut in March.
Market Reaction and Extended Trading
Futures linked to the broad-market index and Nasdaq 100 futures demonstrated gains of 0.18% and 0.37%, respectively. Meanwhile, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures also saw an uptick, rising by 27 points or 0.07%.
Despite these positive indicators, Qualcomm shares experienced a slight decline in extended trading, despite the chipmaker reporting fiscal first-quarter results that surpassed earnings and revenue estimates. The company attributed its success to the strength in handset chip sales.
Reflection on the Previous Session
The market rebound comes after a dismal trading session for major indices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average witnessed a 317-point decline, marking its worst performance since December. Similarly, the S&P 500 experienced a 1.6% slide, its most significant drop since September, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded a 2.2% loss, marking its worst session since October.
According to CNBC, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's post-meeting conference contributed to the market downturn, as he dampened investor expectations for a rate cut in March. This stance was interpreted as a clear signal from the Fed that it would prefer to maintain interest rates rather than implement an early rate cut.
Looking Ahead
Despite recent market volatility, significant indices closed January positively, with each index registering gains of more than 1% for the month.
According to Investors Business Daily, investors are anticipating critical economic data releases on Thursday, including weekly jobless claims, the ISM manufacturing index, and construction spending reports. Additionally, the January jobs report is scheduled for release on Friday.
On the corporate front, several companies, including Merck, Peloton Interactive, and Royal Caribbean, are set to report their latest financial results on Thursday before the market opens. Mega-cap tech giants like Amazon, Apple, and Meta Platforms are scheduled to report earnings after the market closes.
Photo: Joshua Woroniecki/Unsplash
