US stock index futures edged modestly higher on Friday as investors absorbed a strong earnings beat from Apple and basked in the afterglow of April’s exceptional rally, which handed the S&P 500 its best monthly performance in more than five years.
The gains were tempered, however, by a sharp sell-off in Roblox after a sweeping guidance cut, persistently elevated oil prices linked to the US-Iran conflict, and a seasonal calendar that historically delivers thinner returns for equity markets from May onwards.
5 things to know before Wall Street opens
1. Futures hold gains after record April close
S&P 500 futures edged up 0.13%, Dow futures gained about 0.2% (roughly 116 points), while Nasdaq 100 futures dipped 0.13%.
The moves followed a strong Thursday session in which the S&P 500 rose 1.02% to close above the 7,200 threshold for the first time, while the Nasdaq jumped 0.89% and the Dow added 790 points.
For the month, the S&P 500 gained 10.4% — its strongest April since November 2020 — the Nasdaq surged 15.3%, its best month since April 2020, and the Dow rose 7.14%, its largest monthly advance since November 2024.
2. Apple beats on revenue but flags rising memory costs
Apple reported fiscal second-quarter revenue of $111.2 billion, up 17% year on year and ahead of analyst forecasts, with earnings per share of $2.01, beating estimates of $1.95.
iPhone revenue rose 22% to approximately $57 billion, setting a March quarter record, while the company’s Services segment hit an all-time high of nearly $31 billion.
Shares climbed around 3% in premarket trading on Friday.
3. Roblox craters on guidance cut; Reddit surges
Roblox fell sharply in after-hours trading — dropping around 21% — after the online gaming platform slashed its full-year bookings guidance to a range of $7.33 billion to $7.6 billion, down from a previous range of $8.28 billion to $8.55 billion.
The cut stemmed from lower user engagement after the company introduced age-gating measures on its platform, which reduced daily active users and generated negative app store reviews, adding to headwinds from a series of state-level legal settlements related to child safety.
Reddit, in contrast, gained sharply after the company issued an upbeat quarterly revenue outlook, with second-quarter guidance ahead of Wall Street estimates.
4. Oil remains a headwind even as energy stocks provide support
Oil prices climbed on Friday after a volatile Thursday session in which the June Brent crude contract hit a four-year high of $126.41 a barrel before settling at $114.01; the July contract rose 1.11% to $111.63 in early Asian trade.
While energy stocks have been one of the principal drivers of April’s broad-market rally, elevated crude continues to complicate the macro backdrop by keeping inflation above target across major economies and reinforcing central banks’ reluctance to cut rates.
5. Seasonal patterns add to the caution
The calendar itself may pose an additional test.
Since 1945, the S&P 500 has averaged a gain of roughly 2% from May through October, compared with approximately 7% from November through April — a divergence that has given rise to the well-worn “sell in May” maxim.
With markets entering this historically softer stretch at elevated valuations, a more selective approach may be warranted.
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