U.S. stock futures started Friday lower, with the S&P 500 leading the profit-taking move after the strong rally in the previous session. At the same time, Bitcoin (BTC) once again drew the market's attention as it tested the region of US$ 64 mil, extending the gains of the last 24 hours amid appetite for risk assets.
Before the markets opened, S&P 500 futures were down 0,14%, aos 7.577,75 pontos. Nasdaq futures fell 0,23%, para 29.867,50 pontos, while Dow Jones contracts posted a decline of 0,06%, aos 52.731 pontos. Meanwhile, Russell 2000 fell 0,29%, to 2.999,80 points.
Even with the slight correction, Wall Street remains close to historic highs after Thursday's positive performance. In the previous session, the Nasdaq Composite rose 1,3%, the S&P 500 advanced 0,8%, and the Dow Jones ended trading up 0,3%.
In the volatility market, the VIX fell 6,27%, to 15,84 points, indicating that investors remain relatively confident even after the profit-taking observed in the futures indices.
Among commodities, gold fell 0,23%, quoted at US$ 4.131,40, while the August WTI oil contract advanced 0,24%, trading at US$ 72,25 per barrel.
In the cryptocurrency market, the Bitcoin was trading at US$ 63.740, with a daily gain of 3,26%, remaining very close to the psychological mark of US$ 64 mil. The move follows improving investor sentiment toward risk assets and is occurring alongside the recovery in technology stocks.
In Asia, optimism remained concentrated in semiconductor-related companies. South Korea's stock market led the region's gains, with the Kospi index rising more than 4,6%, while the Kosdaq posted a 5,7% gain.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 2,4% and the Topix gained 0,9%. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0,44%. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Hang Seng posted a 0,45% gain, while China's CSI 300 rose 0,33%.
The main highlight was SoftBank Group, which surged more than 11%, following the strong performance of semiconductor manufacturers. Among them, Advantest, Renesas Electronics, and Tokyo Electron closed the session with solid gains.
In South Korea, Samsung Electronics rose 4,3%, Samsung SDI gained 8,3%, LG Display climbed 4,4%, and Seoul Semiconductor posted a 5,9% increase. Memory maker SK Hynix also advanced 1,3% ahead of its anticipated debut in the American market.
"I think it continues to be a market driven by earnings," Ed Yardeni, president of Yardeni Research, told CNBC's "Closing Bell" program on Thursday. "Everyone is looking for reasons to worry, whether because of saturation in the artificial intelligence market or anything else. But the reality is that you can't beat earnings as long as they keep rising."
In addition to SK Hynix's listing in the United States, investors are monitoring the release of Delta Air Lines' second-quarter results, considered one of the first major American companies to kick off the new earnings season, which is expected to influence market behavior in the coming weeks.