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Australian Business Conditions Hold Steady as Easing Cost Pressures Face New Oil Price Risks 
Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Middle East Tensions, Weak China GDP Weigh on Sentiment 
US Stock Futures Hold Steady as Soft Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears 
China Trade Surplus Hits $125.6 Billion as June Exports, Imports Smash Forecasts 
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South Korea Raises Interest Rates to 2.75% as Inflation and Weak Won Drive Tightening 
U.S. stock index futures rose slightly on Thursday evening as investors maintained expectations for further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, shifting their attention toward the upcoming third-quarter earnings season. The modest gains followed a soft Wall Street session, where markets paused after a record-breaking rally driven by tech optimism and artificial intelligence momentum.
As of 19:07 ET (23:07 GMT), S&P 500 futures gained 0.1% to 6,784.50, Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.1% to 23,312.75, and Dow Jones futures edged up 0.1% to 46,628.0. The S&P 500 closed Thursday down 0.3% at 6,735.11, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.1% to 23,024.63, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.5% to 46,358.42.
Tech stocks, including NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), have been the primary catalyst for recent market strength, buoyed by increased investment and chip supply deals linked to AI development. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE: TSM) also added support after reporting strong third-quarter revenue, with investors awaiting its full earnings report next week.
Market sentiment was further shaped by comments from Federal Reserve officials. New York Fed President John Williams expressed support for additional rate cuts, citing a weakening labor market. Minutes from the Fed’s September meeting revealed that while policymakers broadly agreed on more easing, opinions differed on how deep the cuts should go. Fed Chair Jerome Powell offered limited guidance, but traders largely continued to price in a 98% chance of a 25-basis-point rate cut in October, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
Looking ahead, attention turns to the Q3 earnings season beginning next week. Major financial institutions including JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), Citigroup (NYSE: C), and BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) are set to report Tuesday. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), ASML Holding (AS: ASML), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) will follow midweek. Investors will watch closely to assess how trade tariffs and economic disruptions have impacted corporate profits.
