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Stock Markets
US futures tick up amid fresh earnings deluge
United States stock futures advanced on Thursday night (Friday AEDT) as investors digested another wave of corporate earnings, led by upbeat results from Big Tech heavyweights. By 9:50 am AEDT (10:30 pm GMT), Dow futures were up 0.1%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.6%, and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 1.1%, signalling a positive start to the final trading day of the week. Amazon shares surged 13% in after-hours trading after the e-commerce giant posted stronger-than-expected third-quarter results, underpinned by robust growth in its cloud-computing arm, AWS. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.95, exceeding expectations of $1.57, while revenue rose to US$180.17 billion against expectations of $177.91 billion. Apple also impressed investors, with shares climbing 2.7% after the tech giant reported EPS of $1.85 on revenue of $102.47 billion, both ahead of forecasts. Markets had expected $1.78 per share on $102.23 billion in revenue. The company issued a stronger-than-expected outlook for the December quarter, citing robust demand for its new iPhone 17 lineup. Coinbase shares rose 2.8% after the cryptocurrency firm posted EPS of $1.50 on $1.87 billion in revenue, compared with estimates of $1.13 per share and $1
Stock Markets
Wall St retreats as Meta, Microsoft slump
United States stocks finished lower on Thursday (Friday AEDT) as market participants weighed a flurry of major technology earnings and the outcome of President Donald Trump’s closely watched meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 109.9 points, or 0.2%, to close at 47,522.1. The S&P 500 fell 68.3 points, or 1%, to 6,822.3, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 377.3 points, or 1.6%, to 23,581.1. Megacap technology shares were at the centre of the selloff. Alphabet, Meta Platforms and Microsoft all reported quarterly results after Wednesday’s closing bell, with mixed reactions from investors. Alphabet’s stock rose 2.5% after showing solid gains in both advertising and cloud services. But Meta shares tumbled 11.3% after the company warned that capital spending would be “notably larger” next year due to intensified investment in artificial intelligence. Microsoft stock also slipped 2.9% after reporting record capital expenditures of nearly $35 billion for its fiscal first quarter and warning of further increases ahead. While technology stocks weighed on sentiment, gains in banks and healthcare helped limit broader losses. JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America advanced 1.3% and 0
Stock Markets
US futures slip; tech earnings reignite AI focus
United States stock futures edged lower on Wednesday night (Thursday AEDT) as investors digested a raft of major technology earnings and the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate decision. By 9:30 am AEDT (10:30 pm GMT), Dow futures were down 0.2%, S&P 500 futures slipped 0.1%, and Nasdaq 100 futures eased 0.2%. In extended trading, results from several of Wall Street’s biggest technology firms put the spotlight back on the artificial intelligence trade. Alphabet surged 6.2% after the company reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter results. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) at $2.87, beating market expectations of $2.26. Revenue came in at $102.35 billion, ahead of the $99.94 billion expected. Gains were driven by robust growth in Google Cloud and YouTube advertising. Meta Platforms dropped 7.7% as the company posted EPS of $1.05 on revenue of $51.24 billion, versus expectations of $6.72 per share on $49.51 billion in revenue. Meta said it incurred a nearly $16 billion one-time charge related to U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and warned that capital expenditure will rise in 2026. Microsoft slipped 3.6% despite beating expectations for its fiscal first quarter. Adjusted ea
Stock Markets
Wall Street ends mixed as Powell tempers rate-cut hopes
Major United States benchmarks finished Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) in mixed territory after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signalled that the central bank might not lower interest rates again this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 74.37 points, or 0.2%, to 47,632.00. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3 points to close at 6,890.6, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 131 points, or 0.6%, to a record 23,958.5, buoyed by rallying Nvidia shares. The Fed earlier cut its benchmark overnight borrowing rate by a quarter percentage point to a range of 3.75%-4%, marking its second reduction of 2025. Before the decision, markets had largely priced in another cut for December, but Powell’s comments cast doubt on that outlook. Powell said in his opening statement that there were “strongly differing views about how to proceed in December” among policymakers. “A further reduction in the policy rate at the December meeting is not a foregone conclusion. Far from it,” he said. Rate-sensitive consumer stocks led declines, with Costco down 1.3% and McDonald’s declining 1.3%. Still, Powell left the door open for flexibility, noting that inflation was not far from the Fed’s 2% target. “What to do at the December meeting is still in the a
Stock Markets
US futures steady as markets await Fed rate decision
United States stock futures were little changed on Tuesday night (Wednesday AEDT) as investors paused following record-setting sessions on Wall Street, with all eyes on the Federal Reserve’s upcoming interest rate decision. By 9:30 am AEDT (10:30 pm GMT), Dow Jones Industrial Average futures hovered near the flat line, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures edged 0.1% higher. In after-hours trading, several major companies posted quarterly results. Visa rose 0.6% after the payments group reported adjusted earnings of $2.98 per share on revenue of $10.72 billion, slightly ahead of forecasts for $2.97 per share and $10.62 billion in revenue. Booking Holdings gained 3.5% after reporting third-quarter adjusted earnings of $99.50 per share on $9.01 billion in revenue, exceeding analyst expectations of $95.85 per share and $8.73 billion. Conversely, Enphase Energy tumbled 9.1% despite topping estimates, posting earnings of $0.90 per share on revenue of $410.43 million, both above expectations but failing to ease investor concerns over slowing solar demand. Seagate Technology advanced 4.5% after delivering earnings of $2.61 per share on $2.63 billion in revenue, surpassing expectations for $2.40 per share and $2.55 billion.

Stock Markets
Wall St refreshes record highs, AI rally powers ahead
Wall Street surged to fresh record highs on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT), driven by renewed enthusiasm for artificial intelligence stocks as investors positioned ahead of the Federal Reserve’s closely watched interest rate decision. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 161.8 points, or 0.3%, to finish at 47,706.4, while the S&P 500 gained 15.7 points, or 0.2%, to 6,890.9. The Nasdaq Composite outperformed, climbing 190 points, or 0.8%, to 23,827.5, lifted by a wave of optimism surrounding AI-related names. Leading the advance was Nvidia, which rallied 5% after unveiling a raft of announcements at its annual GTC conference. The chipmaker said it would build artificial intelligence supercomputers for the United States Department of Energy and revealed a strategic partnership with Finnish telecom group Nokia. Nvidia will also take a $1 billion stake in Nokia, with the company planning to use proceeds from the investment to accelerate its AI ambitions. Nvidia’s gains sparked a broader rally across semiconductor and tech hardware names, with Broadcom rising 3% and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) up 1.1%. Microsoft climbed 2% ahead of its quarterly earnings due after Wednesday’s market close (Thursday AEDT). The
Stock Markets
US futures steady at record highs; earnings in focus
United States stock futures were largely unchanged on Monday evening (Tuesday AEDT), following a strong rally that sent all major U.S. benchmarks to record highs earlier in the day. Investors took a breather as attention turned toward a busy week filled with central bank meetings, corporate earnings, and developments in trade relations between Washington and Beijing. By 9:40 am AEDT (10:40 pm GMT), Dow futures were up 0.04%, while S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.1% apiece. In extended trading, Nucor rose 3.9% after the steel manufacturer reported earnings per share (EPS) of $2.63, above its prior guidance of $2.05 to $2.15 and beating expectations of $2.18. Revenue for the quarter totalled $8.52 billion, beating consensus forecasts of $8.18 billion. However, Nucor noted that earnings for the current quarter would likely come in lower than the third quarter’s results. F5 fell 6.2% after issuing weaker guidance for the year, now expecting adjusted full-year earnings between $14.50 and $15.50 per share, with revenue growth of 0% to 4%. The company cited “some near-term disruption to sales cycles” following a system breach earlier this month attributed to state-backed Chinese hackers. Despite the guid
Stock Markets
US benchmarks refresh records on China trade hopes
United States equity benchmarks rallied to fresh highs on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) after a weekend of diplomacy between Washington and Beijing eased trade tensions and raised hopes that President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping could finalise a deal this week. All three major averages closed at record levels, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding 337.5 points, or 0.7%, to finish at 47,544.6. The S&P 500 rose 83.5 points, or 1.2%, to 6,875.2, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 432.6 points, or 1.9%, to close at 23,637.5. The small-cap Russell 2000 also posted a new record close, up 6.96 points, or 0.3%, at 2,520.4. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington and Beijing were poised to come away with a trade deal ahead of his expected meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Japan from Malaysia, Trump added that he could sign a final deal on TikTok as early as Thursday. “I have a lot of respect for President Xi, and we are going to come away with the deal,” Trump said. Market participants were also focused on a cluster of central bank decisions this week in the U.S., Europe and Japan. ANZ analysts commented in a note to clients: "The FOMC, EC
Stock Markets
US futures pop ahead of Fed cut, big tech earnings
United States stock futures climbed on Sunday evening (Monday AEDT) as investors positioned for a week dominated by central bank policy and major corporate earnings, with optimism building around a widely expected Federal Reserve rate cut and a potential thaw in U.S.-China trade relations. By 10:20 am AEDT (11:20 pm GMT) Dow futures, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.6%, 0.7%, and 0.8%, respectively. The market’s focus remains on the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting on 29 October, where traders are almost unanimously anticipating a rate reduction. According to the CME Group FedWatch Tool, 96.7% of investors expect the Fed to cut rates deeply to between 375 and 400 basis points, following softer-than-expected inflation data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics last week. Investors are also bracing for a flood of third-quarter earnings from the “Magnificent Seven”, including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft, which are expected to report throughout the week. Meanwhile, geopolitics remain in play this week as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare to meet in South Korea on Thursday in a bid to reduce trade tensions. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott