U.S. stock index futures steadied Thursday evening after Wall Street hit record highs on news that Nvidia was cleared to sell chips to some Chinese firms.
Optimistic comments from President Donald Trump on an upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping also boosted sentiment, as markets bet on improving ties between the world's largest economies.
S&P 500 Futures steadied at 7,525.25 points. Nasdaq 100 Futures rose 0.1% to 29,713.0 points, while Dow Jones Futures were flat at 50,141.0 points.
The S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite hit record highs on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 50,000 points, nearing its February peak.
NVIDIA shares surged over 4% to a record high after Reuters reported that the U.S. allowed the company to sell its H200 AI chip to 10 companies in China. However, no deliveries have been made yet.
CEO Jensen Huang traveled to China with Trump this week, seeking a breakthrough in chip sales.
TSMC stated it expects the global semiconductor market to exceed $1.5 trillion by 2030. Its U.S.-listed shares jumped 4.5%.
Trump and Xi are set for a summit on Friday. Trump struck a positive tone after initial talks, with both leaders expressing hope for improved U.S.-China relations.
Taiwan is expected to be a sticking point. Xi said it is the most important issue to discuss with Trump, while the president plans to raise arms sales.
The talks come amid the threat of a U.S.-Israel war on Iran, disrupting oil and gas flows to several Asian nations, including China.
