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U.S. Stocks May Move Back To The Upside As Intel Soars

April 24, 2026 — 08:50 am EDT

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(RTTNews) - After ending the previous session mostly lower, stocks may move back to the upside in early trading on Friday. The major index futures are currently pointing to a higher open for the markets, with the S&P 500 futures up by 0.4 percent.

A spike by shares of Intel (INTC) may generate early buying interest, as the semiconductor giant is soaring by more than 25 percent in pre-market trading.

The surge by Intel comes after the chipmaker reported much better than expected first quarter earnings and forecast second quarter revenues above analyst estimates.

Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble (PG) is also seeing notable pre-market strength after reporting fiscal third quarter results that exceeded expectations.

Positive sentiment may also be generated in reaction to a pullback by the price of crude oil, which is giving back ground after skyrocketing over the past few sessions.

Crude oil prices are moving lower after a report from Reuters said Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi will arrive in Pakistan tonight for peace talks with the U.S.

President Donald Trump's announcement of a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is also weighing on crude oil prices.

Not long after the start of trading, the University of Michigan is scheduled to release its revised reading on consumer sentiment in the month of April.

The consumer sentiment index for April is expected to be unrevised from the preliminary reading of 47.6, which marked a record low.

Following the rally seen during Wednesday's session, stocks moved mostly lower over the course of the trading day on Thursday. The major averages all moved to the downside, with the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 pulling back off record closing highs.

The major averages regained ground after an early afternoon nosedive but remained firmly negative. The Nasdaq slid 219.06 points or 0.9 percent to 24,438.50, the S&P 500 declined 29.50 points or 0.4 percent to 7,108.40 and the Dow fell 179.71 points or 0.4 percent to 49,310.32.

In overseas trading, stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region turned in a mixed performance during trading on Friday. Japan's Nikkei 225 Index jumped by 1 percent, while China's Shanghai Composite Index dipped by 0.3 percent.

The major European markets have also turned mixed on the day. While the German DAX Index is up by 0.2 percent, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index is down by 0.3 percent and the French CAC 40 Index is down by 0.4 percent.

In commodities trading, crude oil futures are sliding $0.96 to $94.89 a barrel after surging $2.89 to $95.85 a barrel on Thursday. Meanwhile, after falling $29 to $4,724 an ounce in the previous session, gold futures are inching up $2 to $4,726 an ounce.

On the currency front, the U.S. dollar is trading at 159.54 yen versus the 159.71 yen it fetched at the close of New York trading on Thursday. Against the euro, the dollar is valued at $1.1708 compared to yesterday's $1.1683.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.