Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq Futures Edge Higher Ahead of CPI Inflation Data, Earnings

US stock futures drifted higher in premarket trading on Wednesday as the third-quarter earnings season got underway and investors awaited fresh inflation data.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) and the S&P 500 (ES=F) rose 0.1%. Contracts for the Nasdaq-100 (NQ=F) edged just above the flatline after stocks staggered lower on Tuesday.

Stocks were poised for a recovery as a chip sell-off eased in South Korea and the KOSPI index (^KS11) rose after a 12% decline over the past five days. Investors will be closely scrutinizing quarterly updates from chip equipment maker ASML (ASML) on Wednesday and Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) on Thursday for signs that AI demand remains strong.

Elsewhere, financial company earnings were set to continue with results from Bank of America (BAC), Morgan Stanley (MS), and BlackRock (BLK). Tuesday's investment banking earnings reports suggested that consumers are holding up despite higher interest rates.

Markets also braced for a fresh reading of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. Economists anticipate that higher gas and energy prices drove inflation higher in September, with headline inflation rising 3.6% year over year. If inflation comes in hotter than expected, it could put an October Fed rate hike back in play, experts cautioned.

Brent crude futures (BZ=F), the global benchmark, remained above $105 per barrel as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian energy facilities continued. Yahoo Finance reports.

💊 Liquidia Announces Global Settlement With United Therapeutics. Stock Up in Pre-Market

Liquidia Corporation (Nasdaq: LQDA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for respiratory and vascular diseases, announced that it has entered into a global settlement agreement with United Therapeutics Corporation (Nasdaq: UTHR), resolving all pending litigation between the companies. YUTREPIA (treprostinil) inhalation powder will remain available to patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) without disruption.

Liquidia CEO Dr. Roger Jeffs said the agreement ends years of litigation and provides certainty for patients who rely on YUTREPIA. The company can now focus on expanding the treatment's adoption while advancing its research pipeline, including studies of L606 for PAH and PH-ILD and potential new treatments for other respiratory and vascular conditions. GlobeNewswire reports.

📑 BlackRock Stock Jumps As Q3 Earnings, Investor Inflows Beat Expectations

BlackRock (BLK) stock jumped 4% in premarket trading on Wednesday after the New York-based money manager reported third-quarter profit and revenue that topped analyst estimates.

BlackRock reported adjusted net income of $2.62 billion, or $15.93 per share, exceeding the $14.15 per share analysts expected. Revenue climbed 19% to $7.75 billion, compared with expectations of roughly $7.4 billion.

The results highlighted how the Wall Street giant is benefiting from its massive scale and expansion into private markets as investors navigate higher interest rates and volatile financial markets. Yahoo Finance reports.

🔋 Why Enovix Shares Are Trading Higher By Around 7%

Shares of Enovix Corp. (NASDAQ: ENVX) rose 6.8% to $2.68 in premarket trading after the company announced a purchase order for 100,000 battery units from a multinational drone maker.

According to Enovix, the customer provides dual-use drone systems, with deliveries scheduled for the first half of 2027. Benzinga reports.

🌙 AGM Group Holdings (AGMH) Stock Climbs Over 29% After Hours

AGM Group Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AGMH) shares jumped 29.55% to $0.69 in after-hours trading on Tuesday.

During the regular session, shares of the Hong Kong-based technology and investment management company closed at $0.53, down 2.01%.

The move followed AGM Group’s Tuesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in which the company disclosed that it had received a Nasdaq deficiency notice concerning its share price.

According to the filing, the company received a letter from Nasdaq’s Listing Qualifications Department on Oct. 9, stating that the closing bid price of its Class A ordinary shares had remained below $1.00 for 30 consecutive business days, from Aug. 27 through Oct. 8, putting the company out of compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement. Benzinga reports.

🧠 ASML Raises Full-Year Sales Outlook as AI Boom Drives Demand

ASML Holding NV raised the lower end of its 2026 sales forecast, marking the third consecutive quarter in which it has raised its outlook, as soaring artificial intelligence spending boosts demand for the Dutch company's chipmaking machines.

The Veldhoven, Netherlands-based firm projected annual sales of between €44 billion ($49 billion) and €45 billion this year, according to a statement released Wednesday. The lower end of the range was previously €43 billion. Yahoo Finance reports.

(All pricing and percent gains are based on Early Pre-Market from 4:00 AM to 7:00 AM ET). Stock Analysis reports.

1) AEHL: Antelope Enterprise Holdings Limited
Total gain: +169.24%

2) SKYD: Skydance Corporation
Total gain: +63.97%

3) GLND: Greenland Energy Company
Total gain: +61.54%

4) LQDA: Liquidia Corporation
Total gain: +52.56%

5) KARD: Kardigan, Inc.
Total gain: +50.35%

The closing price of the top three market percent gainers trading near or above $2 on Oct 13.

(All pricing and percent gains are based on regular market trading hours from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET). Stock Analysis reports.

1) JBDI: JBDI Holdings Limited
Total gain: +243.00%

The company announced a $900 million acquisition that could completely transform its future. The penny stock, previously known for recycling industrial containers, is now preparing to enter the AI market through an agreement involving a London-based technology firm. TipRanks reports.

2) TCRT: Alaunos Therapeutics, Inc.
Total gain: +188.57%

The company announced today the completion of the acquisition of Velaris Therapeutics, Inc. (“Velaris”), a privately-held biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of potentially transformative therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (“PAH”) and related cardiopulmonary diseases. The acquisition gives the Company a portfolio of ActRII-Fc ligand traps and complementary biologics designed to address the underlying signaling imbalances that drive remodeling of the pulmonary vasculature in multiple cardiopulmonary conditions. GlobeNewswire reports.

3) PFAI: Pinnacle Food Group Limited
Total gain: +80.08%

The company announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Pinnacle Food AgTech, has successfully completed the first bench-scale fermentation of the Company’s first-generation recombinant human lactoferrin, rhLF, yeast strain in a 5-liter bench-scale fermenter. TipRanks reports.

(Estimate and Actual numbers represent Earnings Per Share in US Dollars)

BLK

BlackRock

Q3 2026

Before Market Open

Estimate: 14.250

Actual: 15.930

ASML

ASML Holding

Q3 2026

After Market Close

Estimate: 12.470

Actual: 14.880

PGR

Progressive

Q3 2026

Before Market Open

Estimate: 4.370

Actual: N/A

Time (ET) / Report / Period

• 8:30 AM / CPI / Sep
• 8:30 AM / Core CPI, M/M% / Sep
• 8:30 AM / CPI, Y/Y% / Sep

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