Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose on Friday, boosted by Apple shares, while oil prices fell as a new month of trading got underway. Futures tied to the Dow advanced 153 points, or 0.3%. S&P 500 futures gained 0.2%, while Nasdaq 100 futures hovered around the flatline. Shares of Apple climbed more than 3% in premarket trading after the consumer tech giant posted a fiscal second-quarter earnings and revenue beat. Not only that, the company’s revenue outlook for the current quarter was better than expected, overshadowing the fact that iPhone revenue fell short of estimates for the second time in three quarters. On the flip side, oil prices fell after Iran reportedly sent its response through Pakistani mediators to the latest U.S. amendments to a draft agreement to end the Middle East conflict. The moves come after a record-setting trading session, with the S&P 500 closing above the 7,200 threshold for the first time ever. That helped both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq—which also notched a new record closing high—secure their strongest monthly performances since 2020. The Dow, meanwhile, saw its strongest monthly performance since November 2024. A strong first-quarter earnings season, as well as hopes for easing tensions in the Middle East, has ultimately boosted stocks higher on the year. Even though the major averages took a dip at the commencement of the U.S. war with Iran, all three indexes are now trading well above where they began in 2026. Venu Krishna, head of U.S. equity strategy at Barclays, pointed to a strong economic growth outlook and an intact tech story as catalysts to keep this strong market rally going from here. “The story is good, so we remain optimistic. The last thing I would say is that the pace of this recovery has been so strong in such a short period of time; it does leave some potential for a little bit of a breather in the short term,” he said on CNBC’s “Closing Bell: Overtime” on Thursday afternoon. “But … I think the trajectory, the direction, is pretty strong.” Treasury yields were unchanged on Friday as investors digested a week of key economic data and policy releases. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note — the key benchmark for U.S. government borrowing — fell less than 1 basis point to 4.386%. The 2-year Treasury note yield, which more closely tracks short-term Federal Reserve interest rate policy, also dropped less than a basis point to 3.884%. Markets in Australia and Japan rose Friday, mirroring gains on Wall Street that saw both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite reach new highs. Most major Asian markets are closed due to the May Day holiday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 0.38% to 59,513.12, and the Topix reversed earlier losses to gain 0.04%, ending at 3,728.73. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.74% and closed at 8,729.8, snapping an eight-session losing streak. Oil prices fell Friday on a report that Iran and the U.S. continue to communicate about a draft peace agreement through mediators in Pakistan. U.S. crude oil futures fell more than 2% to $102.45 per barrel by 8:24 a.m. ET. International benchmark Brent edged 0.41%.
lower to $109.95.