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U.S. stock index futures moved higher Wednesday evening as investors remained optimistic about technology and semiconductor stocks ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The positive momentum followed another strong session on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs thanks to renewed strength in artificial intelligence and chip-related shares.
By late evening trading, S&P 500 Futures gained 0.1% to 7,480.25, while Nasdaq 100 Futures climbed 0.5% to 29,631.0. Dow Jones Futures also edged up 0.2% to 49,905.0. Investor sentiment improved after reports suggested the Trump-Xi discussions could ease tensions between the United States and China, particularly regarding technology exports and trade restrictions.
Market attention is now centered on Thursday’s summit in Beijing, where Trump arrived alongside major U.S. business leaders including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla chief Elon Musk. Analysts expect talks to address tariffs, Taiwan, artificial intelligence cooperation, and broader economic relations between the two global powers.
Chipmaking stocks rallied strongly after hopes emerged that Washington may soften export controls on semiconductor sales to China. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index surged 2.6%, recovering losses from the previous session and nearing record territory once again. Nvidia and other AI-linked companies continued to attract strong investor interest amid growing optimism surrounding the global AI industry.
Despite concerns over inflation and geopolitical risks linked to the Iran conflict, investors largely favored growth and technology sectors. Earlier this week, hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data raised expectations that the Federal Reserve could maintain higher interest rates for longer. Adding to market focus, the U.S. Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve Chairman, replacing Jerome Powell whose term ends this week.
