S&P 500, Nasdaq futures rise but Dow slips as earnings pour in.

U.S. stock futures were mixed on Thursday, with the S&P 500 poised to build on the previous day’s gains as investors braced for another round of big bank earnings and a fresh reading on retail sales.

S&P 500 (ES=F) futures put it up 0.2%, while those on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) gained about 0.5%. But Dow Jones Industrial Average ( YM=F ) futures were down nearly 0.3%, weighed down by a slide in UnitedHealth ( UNH ) stock.

Markets found little relief in consumer inflation, which has raised questions about whether interest-rate cuts have gone too far this year. Stocks rose on Wednesday on the back of the data and higher earnings from major US lenders.

Dealers have it now. He raised the stakes The Federal Reserve will cut rates before July, reversing the pile-up triggered by a better-than-expected December jobs report.

Eyes are now on the December retail sales report for a sense of economic growth, while an update on weekly jobless claims could test expectations for moderation.

Investors will also be looking at the earnings of Bank of America ( BAC ) and Morgan Stanley ( MS ) ahead of the bell, posted by peers. JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ) and Goldman Sachs ( GS ) earnings rose amid talk of a turnaround in 2024 and the final quarter.

In other earnings, UnitedHealth’s fourth-quarter revenue fell less than expected, weighed down by weakness in its health insurance division. The stock slipped 4.8% in premarket trading.

Meanwhile, a strong sales outlook from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co ( TSM, 2330.TW ) boosted optimism for AI hardware demand this year. The major chip supplier to Nvidia ( NVDA ) and Apple ( AAPL ) posted a 57% net gain to hit quarterly records on Thursday. Shares of TSMC rose more than 5% in premarket trading after the earnings report, while Nvidia shares rose nearly 2%.