U.S. stock futures are trading with little variation this Wednesday (22), while investors await one of the most important sessions of the current corporate earnings season. Technology and industrial giants are reporting their results throughout the day, at a time when the market is looking for signs about investments in artificial intelligence and prospects for the second half.
Before the market opens, futures contracts for the S&P 500 were down 0,06%, at 7.541,25 points. Futures for the Dow Jones were down 0,03%, to 52.428 points, while futures for the Nasdaq posted a decline of 0,25%, at 29.243,25 points. Meanwhile, futures for the Russell 2000 were down 0,06%, trading at 2.995,30 points.
The volatility index VIX was down 8,58%, to 17,05 points, indicating a reduction in investors' risk perception after the recovery seen in the previous session. Bitcoin also advanced and was trading at US$ 66.305,23, with gains of 1,19% in the last 24 hours, following the improvement in appetite for assets linked to the technology sector.
In Asia, markets closed the session with mixed performance. The main highlight was the Nikkei 225, from Japan, which rose more than 5%, while the Kosdaq, from South Korea, posted a 2% gain. The Kospi closed slightly higher, as did Australia's S&P/ASX 200. In contrast, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, ended the day down 0,66%, while the CSI 300, from China, advanced 0.15%.
In the previous session, Wall Street halted a streak of three consecutive declines after better-than-expected results reported by companies such as 3M and General Motors. The semiconductor sector also led the gains, driven by the return of investor interest in companies related to artificial intelligence.
Attention remains focused on the ability of large companies to turn elevated AI investments into revenue growth and cash generation. This theme continues to be one of the main factors behind the high valuations of technology stocks and also influences sentiment among cryptocurrency investors.
"Second-quarter earnings season is in full swing, but as most hyperscalers have yet to report their results, the market is still awaiting a definitive read on how AI investment is being monetized and translated into future capital expenditures," said Julia Hermann, global market strategist at New York Life Investment Management.
This Wednesday, the market is watching the results of Tesla, Alphabet, IBM, ServiceNow, Texas Instruments and AT&T. Investors will seek updates on spending on artificial intelligence, demand for cloud computing, corporate technology investments, and projections for the coming quarters.
In the commodities market, oil also remains on the rise. The WTI for September 2026 was advancing 1,04%, quoted at US$ 85,22 per barrel, while gold was rising 1,37%, reaching US$ 4.132,40, amid the search for safe-haven assets in the face of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. These movements continue to influence the behavior of global markets and the flow of capital among stocks, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.