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Futures down: Dow 0.11%, S&amp;P 500 0.09%, Nasdaq 0.11%
Feb 26 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were muted on Thursday as Nvidia’s stellar quarterly results garnered a lukewarm response from investors and downbeat earnings from software company Salesforce weighed on sentiment.
Nvidia (NVDA.O) inched 0.6% higher in premarket trading after the chipmaker posted better-than-expected results for the January quarter and forecast current-quarter revenue above market estimates.
“The needle has clearly shifted when it comes to what its going to take to convince investors that the billions being poured into AI infrastructure will pay off,” said Raffi Boyadjian, lead market analyst at Trading Point.
“Markets are now moving into a phase where they want to see tangible results of AI monetization before pushing AI stocks above their recent ranges.”
Most megacap and growth stocks including Apple (AAPL.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.o) were trading in the flat-to-lower band.
At 05:51 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis (YMcv1) were down 53 points, or 0.11%, S&amp;P 500 E-minis (EScv1) were down 6.25 points, or 0.09%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis (NQcv1) were down 27 points, or 0.11%.
Salesforce (CRM.N) shed 3.1% after the cloud software provider forecast fiscal 2027 revenue below expectations, signaling sluggish spending on enterprise business software.
Results from software-related companies could garner extra attention this earnings season given the S&amp;P 500 software and services index (.SPLRCIS) has dropped nearly 21% so far this year as concerns of AI-related disruptions hit the sector.
While software has been one of the worst hit, financial brokerage, data analytics and legal services, real estate services and trucking are some other sectors that clocked heavy losses amid growing AI disruption fears earlier this year.
February has been a choppy month for U.S. equities, with the main indexes swinging sharply between gains and losses as sentiment towards AI and technology stocks waver, with investors questioning if massive planned AI spending is actually paying off.
The S&amp;P 500 (.SPX) and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) closed at two-week highs on Wednesday, fueled by a rally in heavyweight technology stocks.
Media company Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) , Skippy peanut butter maker Hormel Foods (HRL.N) and utility Vistra (VST.N) are some of the prominent companies reporting earnings before the bell on Thursday.
A weekly jobless claims reading is due later in the day and January producer prices data is scheduled for release on Friday.
Among other stocks, Trade Desk (TTD.O) dropped 16.9% after the advertising technology firm forecast first-quarter revenue below estimates amid mounting pressure from larger rivals.
C3.ai (I.N) slipped 22.7% after the software provider forecast current-quarter sales below estimates and said it was cutting 26% of its global workforce.
Shares of energy companies including Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and Chevron (CVX.N) were down around 0.4% each, tracking lower crude oil prices as investors assessed whether U.S.-Iran talks could avert a military conflict that risks supply disruptions.

NDAQ

U.S. stock index futures showed a muted response following Nvidia's strong quarterly results, with Dow down 0.11%, S&P 500 down 0.09%, and Nasdaq down 0.11%. Despite Nvidia's better-than-expected performance, investor sentiment was dampened by Salesforce's disappointing forecast. The market is currently cautious about AI investments, seeking tangible results before further gains. February has seen volatility in U.S. equities, with major tech stocks fluctuating. Other companies reporting earnings include Warner Bros Discovery and Hormel Foods, while Trade Desk and C3.ai faced significant declines in their stock prices.

- U.S. stock index futures are down slightly, with the Dow at -0.11%, S&P 500 at -0.09%, and Nasdaq at -0.11%, amid mixed investor reactions to earnings reports from Nvidia and Salesforce.  
- Nvidia saw a modest increase of 0.6% while Salesforce dropped 3.1% due to a bleak revenue forecast, reflecting broader concerns about AI-related disruptions impacting the software sector.  
- February has been volatile for U.S. equities, as investors remain cautious about the effectiveness of substantial AI investments, with key earnings announcements and economic data expected soon.

Reuters

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US STOCKS-US stock futures waver as Nvidia's blockbuster results draw muted response