Dow Futures Edge Higher As Strong Earnings Boost Investor Confidence: AXP, NFLX, IBKR, GSK Among Stocks To Watch

U.S. stocks appear poised for a positive opening on Friday, as strong earnings from major companies throughout the week have fueled investor confidence, even as the Trump administration continues to stand firm on its tariff stance.

Adding to the optimism of investors is new data reflecting the economy's strength. Initial jobless claims declined 7,000 in the week ended July 12, standing at 221,000, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor.

While Dow Jones futures were up 0.07% at the time of writing, the S&P 500 futures were up 0.03%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100’s futures gained 0.04%. Futures of the Russell 2000 index were down 0.03%.

Meanwhile, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.09% at the time of writing, while Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) gained 0.06% on Friday morning. Retail sentiment around the S&P 500 ETF on Stocktwits was in the ‘bullish’ territory.

Asian markets ended Friday’s trading session on a mixed note, with the Hang Seng leading with gains of 1.32%, followed by the TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock index at 1.15%, and the Shanghai Composite at 0.5%.

The Nikkei 225 fell 0.21%, while the KOSPI declined 0.13%.

Stocks To Watch

• American Express Co. (AXP): The financial services company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $4.08 during the second quarter (Q2) on a revenue of $17.86 billion, beating Wall Street estimates.
• Netflix Inc. (NFLX): The streaming giant reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings and raised its annual forecast. Its EPS stood at $7.19 on revenue of $11.08 billion.
• Interactive Brokers Group Inc. (IBKR): The online brokerage’s shares surged 5% during Friday’s pre-market trading session following better-than-expected results.
• Glaxosmithkline Plc. (GSK): Shares of the pharmaceutical giant fell in the pre-market trading session after the company’s blood cancer drug, Glenrep, was denied approval by the FDA.
• Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW) and 3M Co. (MMM) are among the companies scheduled to report earnings on Friday.

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