US stock futures moved higher on Thursday, indicating a potential recovery after consecutive declines. The shift in sentiment followed a strong quarterly report from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
Futures tied to the Nasdaq 100 index advanced 0.8 percent. S&P 500 futures gained approximately 0.4 percent. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures added 0.1 percent, after the underlying indexes posted losses for a second straight day.
TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, reported a 35 percent increase in fourth-quarter profit. The company, a key supplier to Nvidia and Apple, announced plans to increase its investment to $56 billion by 2026. Shares of the Taiwanese firm rose, contributing to gains in other semiconductor-related stocks like ASML.
The market mood reversed from Wednesday, when technology stocks had led a decline. That earlier drop had suggested a continued shift of investor funds away from large technology companies.
Separately, oil prices declined. The drop followed a statement from President Donald Trump on Wednesday. He said he had been informed that authorities in Iran would stop killing protesters, reducing expectations of an immediate US military response.
Silver prices also retreated, halting a recent rally that had pushed the metal's total market value above $5 trillion for the first time. The price decline came after President Trump indicated the US would delay imposing import tariffs on critical minerals. Concerns over such tariffs had previously contributed to supply pressures.
Investors are now awaiting earnings reports from several major financial institutions. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and BlackRock are scheduled to report results before the market opens. Economic data on weekly jobless claims is also expected.
In premarket trading, BlackRock stock edged nearly 2 percent higher. The asset manager reported attracting $342 billion in total client cash during the fourth quarter, bringing its total assets under management to a record $14 trillion.
Analysts at Barclays noted that while the overall US stock market appears calm, individual stocks are experiencing significant volatility. Stefano Pascale, head of US equity derivatives research at Barclays, stated in a phone interview that "single stocks have become where the center of gravity of volatility is."
Several other stocks saw premarket movement. Applied Materials stock rose 8 percent after receiving an OutPerform rating from RBC Capital analysts. Spotify shares gained 2 percent after announcing a price increase for its premium subscription service in certain markets. Entegris Inc. stock advanced 7 percent following a dividend announcement.
ASML shares surged more than 7 percent to a record high in Amsterdam, pushing its market value above $500 billion. The move followed TSMC's optimistic outlook for 2026.
TSMC's chief financial officer, Wendell Huang, said on a conference call that the company expects "continuous strong demand" for its advanced technologies. He stated that capital spending would be "significantly higher" over the next three years.
Oil prices fell for the first time in six days. Brent crude dropped as much as 2.9 percent to trade below $65 a barrel. US government data showed a 3.4 million-barrel increase in nationwide crude stockpiles last week, the largest build since early November.