Stock Market Today: Live Updates

U.S. stock futures were higher Thursday after strong bank profits distracted investors from domestic and foreign risks as the U.S. government shutdown enters its third week and growing trade tensions with China persist.

Futures contracts linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 155 points, or 0.3%. S&P Futures gained 0.3%, while the Nasdaq 100 Futures added 0.5%.

JB Hunt Transport Services shares jumped more than 13% after the company beat Wall Street’s earnings and revenue expectations and Sales force shares rose 6% after the company gave strong guidance at its annual Dreamforce conference. Actions of United Airlines on the other hand, it fell 2%, after the airline’s revenues were disappointing.

Stocks saw choppy trading Wednesday, but the S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished in the green as investors were encouraged by strong earnings at big banks.

Volatility increased this week, particularly as trade tensions escalated between the United States and China. THE Cboe Volatility Index (VIX)widely called the Wall Street Fear Indicator, ended the day at 20.6.

Stocks have swung since President Donald Trump threatened China with a ban on its cooking oil trade on Tuesday. The retaliatory move came as Beijing bought less U.S. soybeans due to tariffs imposed by Trump earlier this year. Trump also threatened to impose additional 100% tariffs on all products from China in response to the country’s new export controls on rare earths. The Trump administration plans to set price floors across a range of sectors to combat market manipulation by China, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Wednesday.

Investors also remain vigilant as the US government shutdown continues for a third week. The shutdown led to federal agencies halting the release of crucial economic data indefinitely, giving traders less information at a time when concerns about the job market, the effect of tariffs on consumers, high interest rates and historically high stock valuations all remain a major concern.

LPL Chief Technical Strategist Adam Turnquist pointed out that while the S&P500 has seen a record rally since early July, a closer look at the broader market’s trends shows a gap between price action and stock participation on the upside. The artificial intelligence business has fueled most of the S&P 500’s recent returns, with shares of tech giants Nvidia, Alphabet, Apple, Broadcom and Tesla collectively accounting for 60% of the broader market’s total return between July 1 and Oct. 14, he said.

“While the trend model shows that there are still more S&P 500 stocks trading higher than lower, the narrowing gap highlights emerging cracks in the market’s foundations,” Turnquist said in a note to clients Wednesday. “These cracks can be repaired by broadening participation, but they also highlight the high concentration risk associated with a handful of dominant names driving the rally.”