US equity futures were firmly higher at near record highs ahead of the year's first session, set to erase losses from Wednesday as strong signs for the AI sector limited concerns of overstretched valuations for tech giants. Nasdaq 100 futures were over 1% higher, while contracts attached to the S&P 500 and the Dow gained over 0.5% each. Companies with exposure to AI and datacenter infrastructure were higher following the strong debut for Shanghai Biren in Hong Kong, while Baidu announced it filed an IPO for its chip unit. Additionally, US President Trump postponed tariffs on selected furniture goods, lifting RH and Wayfair futures by over 2% and supporting the view that the White House may more prudent with trade barriers this year. In the meantime, broader sectors of stock exchanges were supported by the lingering view of robust growth and lower interest rates by the Federal Reserve this year.