Stock Market Today: S&P 500, Dow Jones Futures Rise As Trump Scales Down EU Tariff Threats—Microsoft, Moderna, Intel In Focus

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures rose on Thursday following a more than 1% gain in major indices on Wednesday after President Trump withdrew tariff threats against the EU [1] - The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.24%, while the two-year bond was at 3.59%, with a 95% likelihood of unchanged interest rates projected for January [2] Index Performance - Dow Jones increased by 1.21% to 49,077.23 - S&P 500 rose by 1.16% to 6,875.62 - Nasdaq Composite gained 1.18% to 23,224.82 - Russell 2000 saw a 2.00% increase to 2,698.17 [10] Stocks in Focus - Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) was up 1.60% in premarket trading, projected to post quarterly earnings of 8 cents per share on revenue of $13.38 billion [7] - Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) rose 1.06% after announcing a multiyear partnership with Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team to integrate cloud and AI technologies [7] - Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) jumped 5.64% following positive updates on a cancer therapy study in collaboration with Merck & Co. Inc. [7] - The Metals Company Inc. (NASDAQ: TMC) gained 5.51% after a new rule by NOAA modernized regulations for deep-seabed mining permits [16] - Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) increased by 2.73% as CEO highlighted a memory chip shortage due to rising AI demand [16] Analyst Insights - BlackRock maintains a "pro-risk" investment stance for early 2026, driven by AI's transformative power and a supportive macroeconomic backdrop [11] - They expect the Federal Reserve to continue cutting interest rates, supported by a softening labor market and declining inflation [11] - BlackRock prefers equities over government bonds, keeping an underweight position on long-term U.S. Treasuries due to fiscal sustainability concerns [13]