U.S. markets were poised to open with gains Wednesday on a sustained strong showing from some big corporations during earnings season and an announcement from President Donald Trump on a $500 billion AI investment partnership, the Associated Press reports. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.5% before the bell, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 0.3%, and futures for the technology-heavy Nasdaq jumped 0.9%.
Netflix shot up 14.6% after it reported adding nearly 19 million subscribers during the holiday-season quarter and it topped sales and profit targets. The video streaming service wrapped up its best year ever with more than $40 billion in revenue.
Oracle shares jumped 8% after Trump touted a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence. The new partnership, called Stargate, includes OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank.
United Airlines climbed 4.2% after the carrier reported record fourth-quarter profit that beat Wall Street expectations. United boosted its guidance, saying that robust demand was carrying over into the current quarter.
Consumer products company Proctor & Gamble rose 3.2% before the bell, while the insurer Travelers jumped 5.2%. Both reported strong profits in their most recent quarter.
Also early Wednesday, benchmark U.S. crude gained 12 cents to $75.95 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, picked up 11 cents at $79.40 per barrel.
The U.S. dollar rose to 155.79 Japanese yen from 155.51 yen.
