S&P futures experienced an uptick on Friday morning following the ascent of the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite to new intraday and closing peaks, concluding the trading for the month of April. S&P 500 futures advanced by 0.13%, whereas Nasdaq 100 futures remained unchanged. Futures associated with the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 102 points, representing approximately 0.2%. Apple’s shares experienced a 3% increase in premarket trading. The consumer technology behemoth reported a fiscal second-quarter performance that exceeded expectations in terms of earnings and revenue; however, iPhone revenue did not meet estimates for the second occasion in three quarters.
The blue-chip Dow experienced an increase of 790.33 points, representing a rise of 1.62%, during Thursday’s regular session. The broad-based S&P 500 increased by 1.02%, finishing above the 7,200 mark for the first time in history, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose by 0.89%. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq achieved new record closing highs, marking their strongest monthly performances since 2020, with respective increases of 10.4% and 15.3% for the month. The Dow experienced a 7.1% increase in April, representing its most robust monthly performance since November 2024.
The robust performance of first-quarter earnings, coupled with optimism regarding a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East, has contributed to an upward trajectory for stocks this year. Despite the initial decline in the major averages following the onset of the U.S. war with Iran, all three indexes are currently positioned significantly higher than their starting point in 2026. Venu Krishna highlighted a robust economic growth outlook and a sustained narrative in technology as key drivers that are likely to sustain the current market rally moving forward.
“The narrative is favorable, thus we maintain a positive outlook. The final point to consider is that the rapidity of this recovery has been remarkably robust over a brief timeframe, which suggests there may be some room for a temporary pause in the near term,” he stated on Thursday afternoon. “However, I believe the trajectory, the direction, is quite robust.” Chevron, Exxon Mobil, AutoNation, Colgate-Palmolive, Estee Lauder, Lazard, Moderna, and CBOE Global Markets are among the companies set to report their earnings prior to the opening bell on Friday. Market participants will be attentive to the forthcoming release of manufacturing data for April.