US stock market today: S&P 500, Nasdaq futures edge higher as oil retreats, Intel jumps 4%

US stock futures edged higher on Friday, with S&P 500 up 0.2%, Nasdaq-100 up 0.1%, and Dow Jones climbing 222 points, as oil prices retreated and Intel surged 4% post-earnings. Sentiment remained cautious amid escalating US-Iran conflict in the Middle East, concerns over heavy AI-related capital expenditure by tech giants after Tesla and Alphabet plunged in the previous session, and expectations of a hawkish Fed. Brent crude fell about 3% to around $96.40 a barrel, while US initial jobless claims came in at 187,000, well below expectations, signaling labour market resilience.