NEW YORK, January 15, 2026, 06:52 (ET) — Premarket
- Stock index futures edged up, boosted by semiconductor shares rallying on TSMC’s earnings.
- Jobless claims and regional factory gauges are set for release later this morning, drawing traders’ attention.
- Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley report earnings, leading the day’s corporate schedule.
U.S. stock index futures climbed Thursday, with Nasdaq 100 contracts leading the way after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s quarterly earnings and outlook boosted chip stocks. By 5:03 a.m. ET, S&P 500 futures had added 0.32%, Nasdaq 100 futures jumped 0.74%, and Dow futures inched up 0.06%. The Labor Department’s weekly jobless claims report is anticipated to show a rise to 215,000 for the week ending Jan. 5. Meanwhile, analysts project S&P 500 quarterly profit growth of 8.8% year-over-year as earnings season heats up. 1
The move follows a second day of losses for U.S. stocks on Wednesday, with tech and bank sectors dragging the Nasdaq down 1% and the S&P 500 slipping about 0.5%. Wells Fargo dropped 4.6% after missing quarterly profit forecasts, while Citigroup and Bank of America also declined despite beating estimates. “After a nice run, and so-so or mediocre earnings, you’re seeing profit-taking and consolidation,” said Michael O’Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading. 2
The U.S. calendar heats up around 8:30 a.m. ET with weekly jobless claims alongside a batch of factory and price reports. That includes the Philadelphia Fed’s January manufacturing survey and the New York Fed’s Empire State index. November’s import and export price indexes are also set for release. Economists tracked by Investing.com expect the Philly Fed index to bounce back to -1.6 from -10.2, while the Empire State reading is forecast to climb to 0.8 from -3.9. 3
The semiconductor rally has gone well beyond U.S. futures. In Europe, ASML’s market cap surged past $500 billion, fueled by TSMC’s announcement of $52 billion to $56 billion in capital spending for 2026—well above the Visible Alpha analyst consensus of $46 billion. “The market has underestimated again how large is the demand for AI,” said Han Dieperink, chief investment officer at Aureus. 4
TSMC reported a 35% surge in fourth-quarter net profit, hitting a record T$505.7 billion ($16.01 billion), surpassing expectations amid rising demand for chips tied to artificial intelligence. Nvidia and Apple are among its key clients. 5
Financial giants Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are set to release their earnings before the market opens. Analysts forecast Morgan Stanley to earn $2.41 per share, while Goldman Sachs is expected to report $11.77 per share, according to Nasdaq.com. Asset manager BlackRock will also announce its results. 6
Economic data has trickled in unevenly following a prolonged federal shutdown that disrupted the release schedule. The Labor Department reported wholesale prices climbed 0.2% in November and were 3% higher than a year ago. Retail sales also gained 0.6% in November, marking the start of the holiday shopping season. 7
Fed messaging continues to be a key factor for rates and stocks. Philadelphia Fed President Anna Paulson described the federal-funds rate as “a little restrictive” and suggested cuts might be appropriate in 2026 if inflation keeps easing and the labor market remains steady, Barron’s reported. 8
Premarket moves shifted sharply after President Donald Trump’s comments lessened worries about a military clash with Iran. Oil prices dropped over 2%, shedding a risk premium that had been propping up crude. 9
Traders are gearing up for the 8:30 a.m. ET data dump and a slew of key earnings reports before the market opens. Looking past today, the Federal Reserve’s Jan. 27-28 meeting remains the next big policy event. 10
