U.S. stock futures bounced back late Thursday after China hinted at possible trade negotiations with Washington, offering fresh hope for easing U.S.-China tariff tensions. The rebound came despite cautious sentiment following earnings from Apple and Amazon, which revealed the growing financial toll of ongoing tariffs.
📈 Futures Turn Positive on China Trade Signals
As of 21:19 ET (01:19 GMT), key U.S. stock index futures posted strong gains:
- S&P 500 Futures climbed 0.6% to 5,654.75
- Nasdaq 100 Futures advanced 0.3% to 19,920.50
- Dow Jones Futures surged 0.7% to 41,151.0
Earlier in the session, futures had edged lower as investors reacted to earnings concerns, but turned higher after Beijing expressed willingness to evaluate trade discussions—contingent on U.S. sincerity and the removal of unilateral tariffs.
📢 China’s Commerce Ministry Signals Openness to Dialogue
China’s Ministry of Commerce announced that it is considering re-opening trade talks with the U.S. The statement emphasized that any future negotiations must be based on mutual respect and include the elimination of current tariffs, especially the 145% levy imposed by the U.S. on select Chinese goods.
This follows recent U.S. remarks hinting at a readiness to engage. Chinese officials acknowledged that Washington had made overtures through multiple channels, signaling renewed hope for a de-escalation in trade tensions.
📉 Apple and Amazon Highlight Tariff Pressures
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) saw its shares fall 3.8% in after-hours trading. While the company exceeded expectations for iPhone sales in Q2, it warned of a $900 million hit from tariffs in the upcoming quarter.
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) also disappointed markets. Despite solid performance, its Q2 earnings forecast fell short, and its AWS cloud segment showed weaker-than-expected growth. Shares dropped nearly 3% post-market.
📊 Wall Street Gains on Meta and Microsoft Strength
Despite the cautious after-hours outlook, Wall Street ended Thursday’s regular session in the green:
- Dow Jones rose 0.2%
- S&P 500 gained 0.6%
- Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.5%
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) soared over 4% on a stellar earnings beat and upgraded capex guidance, now between $64–$72 billion. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) surged 7% after reporting 13% revenue growth, with strong forward guidance on cloud services.
📉 Jobless Claims Rise Ahead of Friday’s Jobs Report
Weekly U.S. jobless claims increased by 18,000, raising concerns over potential labor market softening as tariffs begin to impact corporate hiring decisions. Investors now await Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report, which could further shape Federal Reserve expectations.
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