New York, Jan 15, 2026, 06:09 EST — Premarket
U.S. stock index futures edged up Thursday as semiconductor stocks gained momentum following Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s report of strong demand and plans for expanding U.S. capacity. S&P 500 futures climbed 0.32%, with Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.74%. Applied Materials, Lam Research, and KLA each jumped roughly 5% to 6% in premarket trading. 1
The shift follows a tougher run for big tech and a second consecutive drop for the main U.S. indexes. On Wednesday, the Nasdaq lost 1%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.5%, and the Dow edged down 0.1%, with investors weighing bank earnings and new economic figures. 2
Positioning has shifted as more money targets “AI-adjacent” plays beyond the usual megacap tech names. BlackRock noted that investors betting on artificial intelligence in 2026 are favoring energy and infrastructure firms. Ibrahim Kanan, head of core U.S. equity at BlackRock, advised clients to “risk-manage megacap and AI exposure” while seeking “differentiated upside opportunities.” 3
TSMC kicked off the day with a 35% surge in fourth-quarter net profit, hitting a record T$505.7 billion ($16.01 billion), well above the LSEG SmartEstimate of T$478.4 billion. The chipmaker, whose clients include Nvidia and Apple, often sets the tone for U.S.-listed chipmakers and equipment firms. 4
Investors zeroed in on capital spending, a key driver for chip-tool orders. TSMC raised its 2026 capex forecast to $52 billion-$56 billion, well above the $46 billion average in Visible Alpha’s analyst estimates. This boost could spur stronger tool demand throughout the supply chain. “The new plan is great for equipment vendors in 2026, it will lead to consensus estimates upgrades across the board,” Degroof Petercam analyst Michael Roeg said in a note. 5
Financials are under pressure, with major earnings reports looming and policy risks casting a shadow. Bank leaders have pushed back hard against President Donald Trump’s plan to cap credit card interest rates at 10%, warning it could disrupt consumer credit availability. Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser told Investopedia, “The impact to us and other banks would just be dwarfed by the severe impact on access to credit and on consumer spending,” as cited in a transcript. 6
Oil prices took a sharp hit, easing some pressure in other areas but adding volatility for energy stocks. Brent crude tumbled 4.27% to $63.68 a barrel, while U.S. WTI dropped 4.32% to $59.34. The slide followed comments from Trump that dialed down concerns about imminent military action against Iran. Still, Ole Hansen from Saxo Bank warned that “the immediate risk premium had softened but is unlikely to go away.” 7
But that premarket bounce offers little padding. A string of weak earnings forecasts or fresh concerns over credit-card profits might shake confidence fast, particularly as tech stocks remain vulnerable to any shifts in growth outlooks.
At 8:30 a.m. ET, U.S. initial jobless claims are expected to come in near 215,000, up from 208,000 last week. This figure shows the count of folks filing for unemployment benefits for the first time. Ahead of the open, earnings reports roll in from Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and BlackRock. 8
