U.S. stock index futures rose on Friday, driven by gains in Apple following a strong sales growth forecast, as investors focused on key inflation data expected later in the day that could influence the Federal Reserve's policy decisions.

Apple stock rises after the tech giant posts better-than-expected earnings and guides for solid growth, while Intel’s adjusted earnings and revenue top analysts’ estimates. Exxon Mobil and Chevron are scheduled to report quarterly earnings Friday.

Markets widely expect the central bank to hold its lending rate steady in its decision, expected at 2 p.m. ET.

US stocks gained steam on Thursday afternoon as investors digested megacap tech earnings and waited for Apple (AAPL) results for more clues on prospects for Big Tech. Right ahead of the closing bell,

S&P 500 futures are near flat Thursday night as investors analyzed earnings reports from Apple and other well-known companies ahead of the release of a closely followed inflation report. Futures tied to the broad index ticked higher by 0.1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.3%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures added 53 points, or 0.1%.

However, the U.S. stock market could move sharply on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30 based on commentary from the Federal Reserve, and earnings results from several "Magnificent Seven" companies: Apple ( AAPL 3.65%), Meta Platforms ( META 2.19%), Microsoft ( MSFT 2.91%), and Tesla ( TSLA 0.24%). Read on for details.

Wall Street's main indexes opened modestly down on Wednesday, influenced by losses in major tech firms Apple and Nvidia. Investor attention was primarily focused on the anticipated U.S. Federal Reserve's interest-rate decision,

Wall Street ended up on relief Meta and Microsoft kept their AI spending plans even amid mixed earnings. Next up, Apple earnings.

The rest of the stock market could finally catch up to the Magnificent Seven this year—and it has nothing to do with DeepSeek. The gap in earnings growth between the Magnificent Seven and the rest of the benchmark index should compress from roughly 8 percent to less than 5 percent by the end of 2025,

Follow along for live updates on stocks, bonds and other markets, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite.

Investing.com - U.S. stock futures pointed higher on Friday, with investors pouring through fresh tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump and a raft of tech earnings, including iPhone-maker Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL).

Global stock markets stabilized after a tumultuous week, spurred by a new Chinese AI model and looming US tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Supported by strong Apple sales forecasts, markets saw fluctuations,