
March S&P 500 E-Mini futures (ESH26) are up +0.63%, and March Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQH26) are up +1.08% this morning, pointing to a strong start on Wall Street in the first trading session of 2026.
Futures on the Nasdaq 100 outperformed amid renewed optimism around AI following a wave of AI-related news from Asia. Chip designer Shanghai Biren Technology Co. jumped in its Hong Kong trading debut. Also, Baidu climbed in Hong Kong after its AI chip unit confidentially filed for an IPO. In addition, DeepSeek released a paper outlining a more efficient method for developing AI.