Tesla, IBM and Meta Platforms helped lead most U.S. stocks higher on Thursday following a rush of profit reports from some of the country’s most influential companies. The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, as four out of every five stocks in the index climbed.

U.S equity future edged higher in early Wednesday trading, while the dollar extended gains and Treasury yields dipped, as investors looked for clarity on two key issues from today's Federal Reserve rate decision and fourth quarter earnings updates from three megacap tech giants.

Tesla's fourth-quarter net income fell 71% from a year ago, when results were boosted by a one-time tax benefit.