Futures point higher after Monday's rally
US stock futures advanced on Tuesday, building on a positive session that opened the week. S&P 500 futures added 0.3%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 129 points, also 0.3%, and Nasdaq-100 futures rose 0.5%. The gains came as investors worked through a dense slate of company results and the Federal Reserve began a two-day policy meeting.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
Monday's trading had already lifted the major averages, with technology shares leading the way. The artificial intelligence theme drew fresh support after Anthropic filed to list on the Nasdaq, a move that would rank as another large technology debut in 2026, following SpaceX's listing in June.[S1]
Earnings winners and losers
UPS shares climbed more than 1% after the delivery company posted third-quarter results that beat expectations. JetBlue rose more than 11% even though its third-quarter loss was wider than forecast, because the carrier said it anticipates additional margin improvement in the fourth quarter. Whirlpool moved the other way, dropping 7% after reporting an unexpected quarterly loss.[S1]
Broadcom shares gained more than 2% after a group of banks and an investment firm arranged $63 billion in financing for the purchase of Broadcom technology by Anthropic. Bank of America, Citi, Morgan Stanley and Blackstone were named in the coalition behind the funding.[S1]
Oil slips as the Fed holds its meeting
Falling crude prices helped the mood. US West Texas Intermediate futures lost close to 1% to trade near $101 a barrel, while Brent, the global benchmark, fell about 1% to roughly $114. The Fed is widely expected to leave rates where they are, but investors will scrutinize the vote and any guidance on whether another increase could come before the year ends.[S1]
Thomas Block, Washington policy strategist at Fundstrat, noted that the size of the vote will matter after shifts at the previous two meetings, and argued the central bank would be unlikely to adjust rates a week before a national election. On the data side, traders are watching durable goods orders, consumer confidence and new home sales.[S1]
Mixed picture abroad
In Europe, the Stoxx 600 was down 0.35% in morning trading. The UK's FTSE 100 led declines with a 0.99% drop, France's CAC 40 slipped 0.27% and Germany's DAX eased 0.10%. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 closed 1.73% higher and the Topix added 0.61%, South Korea's Kospi jumped 3.09% and the Kosdaq rose 2.29%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.46%. Mainland China's CSI 300 ended 1.32% lower.[S1]
