**U.S. Equity Futures Surge as Investors Anticipate Strong Tech Earnings**

U.S. equity futures experienced a significant uptick as investors turned their attention to mega-cap technology companies expected to report earnings this week. This surge in optimism is further supported by a less alarming geopolitical landscape, with recent Israeli airstrikes on Iran over the weekend not targeting critical oil or nuclear facilities. Consequently, oil futures saw a decline in early trading.

Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 148 points, or 0.3%. Similarly, futures for the S&P 500 increased by 0.4%, and those for the Nasdaq 100 advanced by 0.5%. These movements come on the heels of last week’s mixed market results, where the tech-centric Nasdaq Composite surged to a new intraday all-time high, closing at 18,518.61, marking a 0.56% rise. In contrast, the Dow Jones shed 259.96 points, or 0.61%, to settle at 42,114.40. The broader S&P 500 saw a slight dip of 0.03%, closing at 5,808.12.

The divergence continued, with both the Dow and S&P 500 breaking their six-week streak of gains, whereas the Nasdaq extended its winning run to seven consecutive weeks. This week is anticipated to be pivotal, as Wall Street gears up for the most intense week of the third-quarter earnings season, which also coincides with the final week before the U.S. Presidential election on November 5.

Investors are particularly keen on the earnings reports of five major technology firms - Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Apple. Yung-Yu Ma, Chief Investment Officer at BMO Wealth Management, emphasized the importance of these companies' continued commitment to investments in AI and tech spending. He cautioned that any indication of a slowdown in these investments could negatively affect the market.

In addition to earnings, traders are poised for crucial economic data releases this week, including the September jobs report on Friday, the September personal consumption expenditures price index on Thursday, and a preliminary reading of third-quarter gross domestic product on Wednesday. U.S. stock futures reacted positively, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gaining 117 points, or 0.3%, the S&P 500 futures rising 0.3%, and Nasdaq 100 futures advancing by 0.4%.