U.S. stock futures pointed higher early Monday, CNBC reported, as traders opened a week crowded with corporate earnings, fresh labor market data and the midterm elections. Futures tied to the S&P 500 rose 0.5%, Nasdaq-100 futures added 0.9%, and Dow futures gained 186 points, or 0.4%, according to the network.
The advance follows a down week on Wall Street. The S&P 500 and the Dow each lost less than 1%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 2% as selling in technology names weighed on the major averages, CNBC reported.
Why it matters
The week concentrates several forces that can move markets at once: results from a major technology company, the monthly payrolls report and a national vote that will decide control of Congress. How investors read those signals will shape positioning as the year moves toward its close.
The recent pressure has centered on companies tied to the artificial intelligence buildout. CNBC reported that the week began on a positive note after Anthropic publicly filed for an IPO, lifting AI-linked shares, but that selling returned later as investors weighed signs that capital spending may be slowing. Alphabet and Microsoft both issued capital expenditure forecasts below expectations, and Amazon kept its full-year guidance for such spending unchanged, according to the network.
Warren Pies of 3Fourteen Research told CNBC's "Closing Bell Overtime" on Friday that he sees no fundamental problem with the AI trade, citing rising forward earnings estimates and calling Anthropic's S-1 filing encouraging. He added that the technical picture is a separate matter.
October was a losing month for the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 amid worries about AI spending, with the Nasdaq recording its steepest decline since March 2025, CNBC reported. The Dow, by contrast, gained nearly 2% as money moved toward defensive sectors such as healthcare.
Mike Dickson, head of research and quantitative strategies at Horizon, said in a note cited by CNBC that investors are finding return potential in other kinds of stocks rather than retreating from the market. He also noted that while some investors worry Washington could shift the market's direction after the midterms, equities have historically held steady whichever party wins Congress.
Earnings and the labor market take center stage
Apple, one of the "Magnificent Seven" megacap technology companies, is due to report after Monday's closing bell, per CNBC. McDonald's and Qualcomm are scheduled to release results later in the week.
On the economic side, October's nonfarm payrolls report is set for Friday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect employers to have added 55,000 jobs during the month, CNBC reported.
The elections take place Tuesday. Democrats are expected to win control of the House of Representatives, while the Senate remains a toss-up, according to CNBC.
Overseas markets and oil
Asian trading ended mixed on Monday. South Korea's Kospi led regional gains, rising 2.38% to 5,859.08, and the small-cap Kosdaq added 1.38% to 734.36. Japan's Nikkei 225 edged up 0.33% to 63,081.86. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.44% in its final hour of trading, and mainland China's CSI 300 added 0.79%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped, with CNBC putting the decline at 0.53% in one reference and 0.58% at 8,856.5 in another.
Chinese and Hong Kong shares opened higher following reports that Chinese financial regulators plan to meet with banks and securities firms to discuss steps to support the country's stock market, CNBC reported.
In Europe, the Stoxx 600 was down 0.24% shortly after the open, with major indexes mostly lower. Italy's FTSE MIB was the exception among the large bourses, adding 0.15% in Milan. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 fell 0.34% in London, France's CAC 40 lost 0.21% in Paris, and Germany's DAX slipped 0.03% in Frankfurt. Travel and leisure stocks led sector gains at 0.72%, followed by European banks at 0.34% and basic resources at 0.28%. Oil and gas names fell 1.25%, and healthcare dropped 1.21%, according to CNBC.
Crude prices fell sharply early Monday after reports that the United States and Iran are exploring diplomatic paths to end an eight-month conflict in the Middle East, CNBC reported. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was down 3.02% at $110.01 a barrel at 1:20 a.m. ET, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate for December delivery dropped 3.31% to $100.65.
Investors will watch Apple's results after Monday's close, then turn to Tuesday's midterm results and Friday's payrolls figure for the week's clearest signals.
