U.S. stock futures clawed modestly higher on Thursday as traders continued to digest the Federal Reserve's decision to leave interest rates unchanged and a flood of fourth-quarter corporate earnings. Market attention centered on how large companies are balancing investment, especially in artificial intelligence, with profitability and forward guidance.
Below are notable premarket movers and the company-specific developments behind their share-price reactions:
- Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) - Shares jumped 9.2% after the parent of Facebook reported fourth-quarter revenue and profit that topped expectations. The results helped ease investor worries about the return on the social-media firm's substantial AI-related spending.
- Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) - The software giant's stock fell 6.9% following heavy spending tied to its AI expansion and signs of slightly slower growth at its Azure cloud-computing unit compared with the prior quarter.
- Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) - The electric vehicle maker rose 2.4% after posting fourth-quarter results that beat Wall Street estimates, with commentary indicating a strategic tilt toward AI even as pressures persist in its core automotive business.
- IBM (NYSE:IBM) - Big Blue climbed 9.9% after beating fourth-quarter revenue and profit estimates, with the company citing increased demand for software services tied to AI, including data management and IT automation.
- Blackstone (NYSE:BX) - Shares gained 1.1% after the alternative asset manager reported fourth-quarter profit that exceeded expectations, benefiting from heightened dealmaking activity and growth in its data center business.
- Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) - The heavy equipment maker rose 1.7% after reporting a stronger-than-expected surge in fourth-quarter revenue, a report that cited demand driven in part by enthusiasm for AI and related energy equipment.
- Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) - Shares climbed 7.2% after the cruise operator posted fourth-quarter earnings that met expectations and offered upbeat guidance for 2026, signaling steady consumer demand for cruise vacations.
- ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW) - The software company slid 7.5% after issuing cautious full-year guidance, a development that weighed on the stock despite healthy fourth-quarter revenue and profit driven by demand for its AI-enabled software.
- Honeywell (NASDAQ:HON) - Shares rose 1.2% after the company reported higher fourth-quarter revenue and profit, bolstered by strength in its aerospace business and aftermarket services.
- Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) - The appliance maker's stock tumbled 10% after the company provided a full-year earnings-per-share outlook that disappointed investors. The company's CEO noted that U.S. import levies have not yet yielded a competitive advantage over foreign rivals.
- Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) - Shares dropped 9% after results from its Macao properties underperformed expectations, even as the company's overall revenue for 2025 topped $13 billion.
These premarket moves underscore a market environment where investors are weighing the short-term implications of heavy AI investment against top-line momentum and guidance. Several software and tech firms reported results that reflect strong demand for AI-related products and services, while guidance and margin considerations prompted sharper re-pricing in other names.
At the same time, industrial and leisure companies showed differentiated reactions: some, like Caterpillar and Royal Caribbean, were rewarded for revenue beats and optimistic outlooks, while others faced investor pushback rooted in guidance or region-specific underperformance.
Overall, the session highlighted how earnings season is intersecting with macro policy, as market participants parse the Fed's decision to hold rates steady and the corporate updates that may shape growth and margin expectations going forward.