Stock Futures Rise as Traders Digest Big Tech Earnings and Hope to Recover From Fed Day Sell-Off

July 30, 2026

Breaking News

Image source: AI-generated with OpenAI

U.S. equity futures rose Thursday as investors digested the latest Big Tech earnings, the Federal Reserve’s decision to hold rates steady, and the resumption of hostilities in the Middle East.

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 140 points, or 0.3%. S&P 500 futures advanced 0.5%, and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 1.1%.

Microsoft jumped 8.3% in pre-market trading amid growth from its Azure business. In contrast, Meta Platforms was down 9% ahead of the market open after issuing a soft revenue forecast and reporting a 91% drop in second-quarter free cash flow.

“This is ultimately a tale of two AI investment strategies. One company is increasing profits while spending heavily, while the other is allowing those costs to eat into its bottom line,” said Stephen Evans, chief investment officer at Pave Finance.

“Microsoft’s results suggest concerns about slowing growth may have been overstated, particularly after the pressure its shares have faced,” he added. “Meta’s advertising business remains strong, but it must now demonstrate greater cost control and more consistent returns from its investment before confidence fully returns.”

Elsewhere, chipmakers remain under pressure, with Qualcomm down 5.1% in pre-market trading, and Arm slumping more than 7%. CNBC reports.

EdgeUp

🧠 Meta Misses on Q2 Earnings, Stock Tumbles

Meta reported its second-quarter results after the bell on Wednesday, missing on earnings per share (EPS) but beating on revenue.

The company also missed the midpoint for its Q3 revenue outlook, though it narrowed its planned capital expenditure range for 2026.

Meta stock was nearly 9% lower in pre-market trading on Thursday, having slumped immediately following the results. Yahoo Finance reports.

☁️ Microsoft Beats Q4 Expectations, as Azure Revenue Tops $100 Billion

Microsoft reported its fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday, beating Wall Street's estimates on the top and bottom lines as its Azure service topped $100 billion in revenue for the first time.

Microsoft stock climbed around 8% in pre-market trading on Thursday as investors assessed the report.

Overall, Microsoft posted earnings per share of $4.74 on revenue of $90 billion. Analysts were looking for EPS of $4.25 and revenue of $87.7 billion.

The company saw EPS of $3.65 and revenue of $76.4 billion in the same quarter last year. Yahoo Finance reports.

💾 Samsung Quarterly Operating Profit Up 1,800% on AI Boom

South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics on Thursday posted a massive 19-fold jump in second-quarter operating profit from last year, buoyed by frenzied demand for memory chips used in AI data centres.

Samsung and other leading memory chipmakers have seen profits skyrocket in 2026, but their share prices have proven volatile as investors question whether the artificial intelligence boom is over-hyped. Yahoo Finance reports.

🛢️ Shell Posts Best Quarterly Profit in Four Years as Iran War Boosts Oil and Gas Prices

British energy major Shell on Thursday reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter profit, benefitting from the jump in oil and gas prices amid the sprawling Middle East conflict.

The oil giant posted adjusted earnings of $9.84 billion for the April to June period, comfortably beating analyst expectations of $8.79 billion, according to an LSEG-compiled consensus.

A separate, company-provided analyst forecast had put Shell’s expected second-quarter profit at $8.92 billion.

Shell reported adjusted earnings of $4.26 billion over the same period a year ago and $6.92 billion over the first three months of 2026. CNBC reports.

🛰️ SpaceX Faces House Energy Committee Demand to Tour Its AI Data Centers in Memphis

The top Democrat on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is demanding that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk provide a tour of his company’s xAI data centers and power plants in and around Memphis, Tennessee.

“Americans are concerned about what data centers and Big Tech’s push for more AI means for their communities, jobs, property values, and future,” Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) wrote in a letter to Musk on Wednesday. “Electricity prices are skyrocketing, the electric grid is strained, our clean air and water are being polluted, and noise is wearing on communities’ health and patience.”

Public opposition to data centers is rising in the U.S. after xAI’s buildout in Memphis, and with others underway from OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft and Google. Gallup found in a survey published in May that seven in 10 Americans oppose the construction of an AI data center in their local area, with 48% strongly opposed. CNBC reports.

🧑‍💻 OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar Tells Employees That Annualized Revenue in July Topped All of Q2

As OpenAI chases rival Anthropic in the enterprise and tries to sustain growth in the face of new competition from cheaper open-source alternatives, the artificial intelligence company is seeking to reassure staffers that the business remains healthy.

In an internal meeting with employees on Wednesday, finance chief Sarah Friar and board chair Bret Taylor touted OpenAI’s revenue growth and addressed competition with Anthropic, CNBC has learned. Friar said OpenAI’s annualized recurring revenue in July exceeded the entire second quarter.

“And Q2 was no slouch,” Friar said, according to a partial transcript of the meeting that was reviewed by CNBC. CNBC reports.

🛋️ Inside Ikea’s Big Bet on Humans in the Age of AI

The countertop was a problem far too unruly for AI to solve.

When the customer called in to Ikea's remote-sales center in Helsingborg to order a custom-cut slab for his kitchen counter, the dimensions he shared revealed it to be a lopsided hexagonal monster—no two sides the same length—with an electric stove in the middle. Could the Swedish home furnishings brand produce a countertop in such an irregular shape?

Melanie Lindell, the senior sales representative who had answered the call (in Swedish), ran the request up the chain, calling on Madeleine Barr, a senior sales specialist, who has been designing kitchens at Ikea for more than a decade. Yahoo Finance reports.

Top 5 Movers in Early Pre-Market

(All pricing and percent gains are based on Early Pre-Market from 4:00 AM to 7:00 AM ET). Stock Analysis reports.

1) NUWE: Nuwellis, Inc.
Total gain: +119.58%

2) DFNS: T3 Defense Inc.
Total gain: +98.91%

3) STKH: Steakholder Foods Ltd.
Total gain: +41.33%

4) XRX: Xerox Holdings Corporation
Total gain: +26.52%

5) CMCO: Columbus McKinnon Corporation
Total gain: +18.05%

Yesterday’s Biggest Movers

The closing price of the top three market percent gainers trading near or above $3 on July 29.

(All pricing and percent gains are based on regular market trading hours from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET) Stock Analysis reports.

1) YAAS: Youxin Technology Ltd
Total gain: +370.34%
The company announced that the Company’s board of directors has approved a share consolidation of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares at a ratio of one-for-five, with an expected market effective date of July 30, 2026. The objective of the share consolidation is to increase the per-share trading price of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares and provide the Company with greater flexibility to support the continued listing and marketability of its securities. Globe Newswire reports.

2) NCRA: Nocera, Inc.
Total gain: +118.18%
The company announced that it has received written notification from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq") confirming that the Company has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a) (2). Globe Newswire reports.

3) DFNS: T3 Defense Inc.
Total gain: +109.25%
The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

Today’s Notable Earnings

(Estimate and Actual numbers represent Earnings Per Share in US Dollars)

KYOCY: Kyocera
Q1 2027
Before Market Open
Estimate: 0.170
Actual: 0.289

SHEL: Shell
Q2 2026
Before Market Open
Estimate: 2.830
Actual: 3.520

ING: ING Groep
Q2 2026
Before Market Open
Estimate: 0.740
Actual: 0.790

Today’s Economic Dates

Time (ET) / Report / Period

8:30 AM - Advance estimate GDP - 2Q
8:30 AM - Weekly Jobless Claims - July 25
8:30 AM - Personal Income, M/M% - June

Parting Thoughts

“Chance favors the prepared mind.”

– Louis Pasteur

Sourced in: Lecture at the University of Lille (1854) — HarperCollins.

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