U.S. stock index futures held steady Wednesday evening after the S&P 500 hit a record high, driven by Netflix’s strong earnings and optimism over President Donald Trump’s AI investment initiative. S&P 500 Futures were flat at 6,118.0 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures dipped 0.1% to 21,970.50. Dow Jones Futures remained steady at 44,354.0 points.
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) shares soared 10% after reporting 19 million new subscriber additions in Q4 2024, smashing expectations. Revenue rose 8% to $9.5 billion, while net income increased 12% to $915 million. The streaming giant announced U.S. and international price hikes, citing higher programming investments.
AI stocks surged as Trump unveiled a $500 billion AI initiative, Stargate, a joint venture with OpenAI, Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), and SoftBank (TYO:9984). The project aims to build AI data centers and power facilities in Texas, boosting the sector’s growth. Oracle shares rose 7%, Microsoft gained 4.1%, and Nvidia climbed 4.4%.
Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) surged 16%, while Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) rose 2%, pushing the S&P 500 to a record high of 6,100.81 points before closing 0.6% higher at 6,086.28. The NASDAQ Composite rose 1.


Asian Markets Mixed as RBI Cuts Rates and BOJ Signals Possible Hike
Spain’s Industrial Output Records Steady Growth in October Amid Revised September Figures
Oil Prices Hold Steady as Ukraine Tensions and Fed Cut Expectations Support Market
Citi Sets Bullish 2026 Target for STOXX 600 as Fiscal Support and Monetary Easing Boost Outlook
Asian Markets Mixed as Fed Rate Cut Bets Grow and Japan’s Nikkei Leads Gains
Asian Markets Stabilize as Wall Street Rebounds and Rate Concerns Ease
European Stocks Rise as Markets Await Key U.S. Inflation Data
Dollar Holds Steady as Markets Shift Focus to 2026 Rate Cut Expectations
BOJ Faces Pressure for Clarity, but Neutral Rate Estimates Likely to Stay Vague
European Oil & Gas Stocks Face 2026 With Cautious Outlook Amid Valuation Pressure
U.S. Futures Steady as Rate-Cut Bets Rise on Soft Labor Data
Europe Confronts Rising Competitive Pressure as China Accelerates Export-Led Growth
Asia’s IPO Market Set for Strong Growth as China and India Drive Investor Diversification
Asian Currencies Steady as Markets Await Fed Rate Decision; Indian Rupee Hits New Record Low
Asian Currencies Edge Higher as Markets Look to Fed Rate Cut; Rupee Steadies Near Record Lows
Japan’s Nikkei Drops as Markets Await Key U.S. Inflation Data 



