U.S. stock index futures edged higher Tuesday evening following President Donald Trump's announcement of a trade agreement with Japan, which included a 15% tariff on Japanese exports to the U.S. The move, while lighter than the initially proposed 25%, signals ongoing progress ahead of the August 1 tariff deadline. Trump also revealed Japan’s commitment to invest $550 billion in the U.S. and open its markets further to American cars and agriculture, including rice.
The trade news helped support sentiment after a mixed Wall Street session. While the S&P 500 reached a new record high at 6,309.59, gains were muted by losses in major technology stocks. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.4% to 20,892.69, pressured by chipmakers after Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) issued a disappointing quarterly outlook. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4% to 44,502.19.
Futures reflected modest optimism: S&P 500 Futures rose 0.2% to 6,358.50, Nasdaq 100 Futures gained 0.1% to 23,249.0, and Dow Futures added 0.2% to 44,795.0 as of 00:03 GMT.
Investors are now awaiting Q2 earnings reports from Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) due after the bell Wednesday. Tesla’s report is expected to show margin pressure due to weak vehicle sales and a price war in China. Market watchers are also eager for updates on Tesla’s AI and robotics ventures. Alphabet’s results will offer insight into AI-driven growth and the company’s infrastructure investments, as it remains a key player in the AI hyperscaler space.
Additional earnings are expected from IBM (NYSE:IBM), ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW), AT&T (NYSE:T), NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE), and Moody’s (NYSE:MCO), providing broader cues for market direction. Traders remain cautious amid lingering concerns about trade policy and inflation risks.


China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns
Dollar Holds Firm as Markets Weigh Warsh-Led Fed and Yen Weakness Ahead of Japan Election
S&P 500 Rises as AI Stocks and Small Caps Rally on Strong Earnings Outlook
Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors
Gold and Asian Stocks Rebound as Market Volatility Eases and Global Sentiment Improves
Dollar Holds Firm as Strong U.S. Data, Fed Expectations and Global Central Bank Moves Shape Markets
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects
BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action
Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh U.S.-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength Caps Gains
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand
China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 



