Context:

U.S. financial markets experienced fluctuations in premarket trading despite Delta Air Lines reporting strong earnings and an optimistic forecast for 2025. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones futures remained stable, while Nasdaq futures saw a slight increase. Delta's 12% surge in stock price, driven by surpassing revenue and profit expectations, positively influenced other airlines, including United and American Airlines. In global markets, South Korea's Kospi rose following stable interest rates and semiconductor gains, while Japan's Nikkei declined due to export challenges. European markets saw moderate gains, and in energy trading, both U.S. and Brent crude oil prices slightly decreased.

Dive Deeper:

• U.S. financial markets were unstable before the opening bell, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones futures unchanged, and the Nasdaq futures up slightly after a rally that set a record high for the index.

• Delta Air Lines reported robust earnings and a positive forecast for the rest of 2025, leading to a 12% increase in its stock price and boosting other airlines such as United and American Airlines.

• Delta's optimistic outlook contrasted with earlier predictions, which were lowered due to economic uncertainties and tariff concerns under President Trump's administration.

• In Asia, South Korea's Kospi climbed as the Bank of Korea held interest rates steady, while semiconductor shares benefited from Nvidia's positive performance on Wall Street.

• The Japanese Nikkei index fell due to the appreciation of the yen, which impacts export profits, and the lack of progress in tariff negotiations between Japan and the U.S.

• European markets showed gains with Britain's FTSE 100 up 1.2%, while Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 had smaller increases.

• Energy markets saw a decrease in U.S. crude oil prices by 48 cents per barrel and Brent crude by 38 cents per barrel, amid a slight recovery of the dollar against the yen.