Stock futures were mixed on Thursday as equity markets tried to rebound amid renewed U.S.-Iran tensions and a jump in oil prices.
S&P 500 futures were 0.2% higher, while futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 66 points, or 0.1%. Nasdaq 100 futures, on the other hand, advanced 0.7%, with semiconductor stocks outperforming.
The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) climbed almost 3%, led by a 5% gain in Micron Technology. Sandisk rose more than 4%.
European stocks also bounced back on Thursday as investors monitored renewed tensions in the Middle East, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 index up 0.1%.
In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 closed 1.4% higher, while South Korea's Kospi rose 0.62% in choppy trade.
The U.S. began launching fresh strikes on Iran in response to Tehran's attacks on commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
However, crude futures were flat after President Donald Trump said he called Iran to make a deal.
“These renewed geopolitical risks could fuel near-term risk-off sentiment, however, trends of strong equity earnings momentum and ongoing AI strengths will likely continue to drive the S&P 500 Index towards our year-end target range of 7,800 to 8,000,” said Mason Mendez.
