U.S. stock index futures were mixed on Thursday as investors assessed earnings from Alphabet and Tesla while focusing on progress in trade deals between the U.S. and its top partners. Google-parent Alphabet raised its capital spending plans for the year to about $85 billion and predicted a further increase next year,

Despite the optimism, EU countries approved Thursday a package of retaliatory tariffs in case no agreement is reached.

Following another fairly dismal earnings report this week, Musk told analysts on the call that Tesla's electric vehicles will soon become driverless, making money for owners while they sleep.