-- US equity futures were slightly higher pre-bell Thursday as hopes for a finalized peace deal between the US and Iran continue, on top of a strong earnings season to date.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.2% higher, S&P 500 futures were up 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures were 0.1% higher.
A final peace agreement would end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Wednesday. The White House had said it was nearing an agreement with Iran that would end the war and establish a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations, according to an Axios report.
However, Trump said Iran's acceptance of the US proposal would be "perhaps, a big assumption," and warned that bombing would resume "at a much higher level and intensity than it was before" if an agreement was not reached. An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson told CNBC on Wednesday that Iran was evaluating the proposal.
Traders absorbed the most recent round of earnings, with Shell (SHEL) and McDonald's (MCD) posting higher Q1 adjusted earnings and revenue.
Oil prices were lower, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude down 4.3% at $96.96 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 4.9% lower at $90.45 per barrel.
The weekly jobless claims bulletin, released at 8:30 am ET, showed 200,000 new unemployment claims for the week ended May 2, compared with the upwardly revised figure of 190,000 in the prior week, and it came in below the 205,000 expected, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Q1 nonfarm productivity increased at a 0.8% annual rate, topping forecasts for 0.6%, while unit labor costs increased 2.3%, compared with the 2.5% expected.
The February and March construction spending reports are due at 10 am ET.
Federal Reserve Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari, Cleveland President Beth Hammack, and New York President John Williams are slated to speak today.
In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 5.6% higher, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 1.6% higher, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.5% higher. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 was down 0.6%, and Germany's DAX index was 0.1% lower in Europe's early afternoon session.
In equities, Tesla (TSLA) stock was up 1.9% after the company's China-made electric vehicle sales rose for the sixth consecutive month on a year-over-year basis, according to a Reuters report. DoorDash (DASH) shares rose 8.7% after the company posted Q1 earnings that topped analysts' consensus. Fortinet (FTNT) stock was up 17% after the company posted a stronger-than-expected jump in Q1 earnings and sales, as well as boosted its full-year 2026 guidance.
On the losing side, Shell stock was down 1.8% after the company reported its Q1 financial results. ARM (ARM) shares fell 7% despite the company posting higher fiscal Q4 adjusted earnings and revenue.