Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on October 20, 2025 in New York.
Spencer Platt | Getty Images
Stock futures were little changed late Tuesday after a record session fueled by strong corporate earnings.
Futures contracts linked to Dow Jones Industrial Average rose slightly by 17 points, hovering below the flat line. S&P 500 Futures Contracts increased slightly, while Nasdaq100 futures fell 0.1%.
On Tuesday evening, a slew of reports on the results were released. In exchanges outside normal hours, Netflix shares fell 6% after the company reported a missed profit, while Intuitive surgical shares rose about 16% on its strong earnings and revenue.
Strong quarterly results released earlier by companies such as Coca-Cola propelled the Dow Jones Industrial Average to a new high above 47,000 at one point Tuesday. The 30-stock index closed the session just below that mark, at a record high.
Meanwhile, the S&P 500 was relatively unchanged at the end of the day, and the Nasdaq Composite finished slightly lower as some risky tech names lost strength. President Donald Trump commented on his planned meeting next week with Chinese President Xi Jinping, noting that “it may not happen.” This has sparked uncertainty over trade tensions between the United States and China that could lead to higher tariff rates and issues that could impact the semiconductor industry.
Still, investors are hoping the flurry of upcoming earnings releases could be the next catalyst U.S. stocks need to continue their rally. Tesla earnings expected after the bell on Wednesday will kick off highly anticipated reports from the mega-cap technology group “Magnificent Seven.” More than three-quarters of the S&P 500 companies that have reported results so far have beaten expectations, according to FactSet.
“Ultimately, if earnings are better than expected and if tech stocks really prove that the AI business is intact, you have your next step up from here,” Alicia Levine, BNY Wealth’s head of investment and equities strategy, said on CNBC’s “Closing Bell.”
“You really have to break through the 6,800 level on the S&P to really be convinced that there’s another step here. It’s on the technical side, but on the fundamental side, I think we’re getting there,” Levine added.
The September Consumer Price Index report, due Friday, is another key event traders are awaiting this week, especially because all other data releases have been suspended during the U.S. government shutdown. Inflation data is expected to provide more information to central bankers before their next meeting at the end of October. Markets widely expect the Federal Reserve to announce a quarter-percentage-point reduction in the overnight borrowing rate, and likely a further reduction in December.
