U.S. stock futures rise after AI rally, retreating oil lifts Wall Street

U.S. stock index futures advanced on Monday evening, adding to gains after an AI-driven technology rally powered a strong session on Wall Street.

A continued decline in oil prices also lifted risk-oriented assets, with investors wagering on better diplomatic efforts and supply conditions in the Middle East, even as the Saudi-Houthi conflict continued.

By 20:04 ET (00:04 GMT), S&P 500 futures were unchanged at 7,836.50 points. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.25% to 30,864.50 points, while Dow Jones futures held flat at 52,466.0 points.

The futures moves followed a positive Wall Street session, in which the NASDAQ Composite jumped to a record high on technology gains.

Meta jumps on agentic AI optimism, igniting tech rally

Meta Platforms Inc stood out on Monday, as the Instagram parent climbed more than 11% on enthusiasm for its newly launched Muse AI agent.

Muse has been rapidly gaining popularity since its September 9 debut, surpassing major apps including OpenAI’s ChatGPT on Apple’s App Store. Amazon.com Inc also blocked the agent from its retail site.

Meta additionally announced a transoceanic subsea cable linking the U.S. and France. The news arrived just before its Meta Connect 2026 event on Wednesday and Thursday, where it is expected to reveal further AI breakthroughs.

Meta’s gains spilled into other technology and AI shares, with the sector also looking appealing after suffering steep losses for most of September.

Chip stocks were among Monday’s strongest performers, as the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index jumped 4.3%. AMD climbed 10% and surpassed a $1 trillion market capitalization for the first time.

Buoyed by technology gains, the NASDAQ Composite rose 2.26% to close at a record 27,122.09 points.

Softer oil prices also support Wall Street

Outside technology, Wall Street also took encouragement from a sustained decline in oil prices. Brent briefly dropped below $100 a barrel on hopes for increased Middle East diplomacy.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he was willing to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of a United Nations meeting in New York on Tuesday.

Trump nevertheless kept threatening Iran and pressed it to accept a U.S. deal. Tehran replied by warning it would deploy “new weapons” against any further U.S. aggression.

Still, oil prices dropped sharply over the past week, as somewhat better flows from Saudi Arabia signaled improving supplies despite continued Houthi attacks against the country.

The Iran-backed Yemeni group intensified its offensive against Riyadh over the past week, leading to the shutdown of a major pipeline.