U.S. Stock Futures Rise on Trade Hopes; iPhone 17 Sales Surge and Kering Strikes €4B Deal with L’Oreal

U.S. stock futures edged higher on Monday, lifted by optimism over easing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing and anticipation of key corporate earnings. As of 03:28 ET (07:28 GMT), Dow futures were up 0.4%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.5%, and Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.6%.

President Donald Trump signaled a potential thaw in U.S.-China relations, acknowledging that the proposed triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods were “not sustainable.” He confirmed an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are expected to hold trade talks this week. Still, Trump maintained a hardline stance on other nations, including India and Colombia, over trade and policy disputes.

Investors are also bracing for major earnings reports from Tesla and Netflix, alongside a delayed U.S. inflation report due to a government shutdown.

Meanwhile, Apple’s iPhone 17 series recorded a strong debut, outperforming last year’s iPhone 16 by 14% in its first 10 days in the U.S. and China, according to Counterpoint Research. The base model drove much of the demand, particularly in China, where sales nearly doubled year-over-year. In the U.S., the iPhone 17 Pro Max emerged as the top performer, boosted by higher carrier subsidies and strong demand in the ultra-premium segment.

In corporate news, Kering announced a €4 billion deal to sell its House of Creed perfume unit and license fragrance rights for brands like Gucci and Balenciaga to L’Oreal. The 50-year agreement includes a joint venture focused on luxury, wellness, and longevity.

Additionally, China’s GDP grew 4.8% year-on-year in Q3 2025, its slowest pace in a year, while gold prices steadied near record highs amid easing U.S.-China trade tensions.