US pre-open: Futures point to solid gains in first session of 2026

(Sharecast News) - Wall Street futures were in the green ahead of the bell on Friday as big-name tech firms looked set to carry their recent strong performance over into the new year. As of 1135 GMT, Dow Jones futures were up 0.41%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures had the indices opening 0.62% and 1.08% firmer, respectively.

The Dow closed 303.77 points lower on Wednesday, as the blue-chip index wrapped up what was a solid year on a dour note.

Nvidia traded higher prior to the open, as did Palantir Technologies, as investors continued to back the artificial intelligence trade, which drove the broader market to sharp gains in 2025.

On the macro front, December's S&P Global manufacturing index will be published at 1445 GMT.

No corporate earnings were slated for release on Friday.







Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com