Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq Futures Rise as Oil Prices Slip

US stock futures rose on Friday morning as investors continued to adjust to the Federal Reserve's first rate hike in three years and concerns about artificial intelligence's capabilities.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) rose 0.1%, the S&P 500 (ES=F) edged up 0.2%, and the Nasdaq-100 (NQ=F) climbed 0.4%.

Stocks rebounded on Thursday, driven by gains in tech stocks and supported by falling oil prices and bond yields. Markets appeared to look past the Fed's widely expected 25-basis-point rate hike this week. US stock futures continued to climb after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates to their highest level in 31 years.

However, analysts and top CEOs aren't convinced that one Fed rate hike will be enough to bring down stubbornly high inflation. "It's not clear to me we've slayed inflation," JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said this week.

Easing oil prices, which have returned to around the $100 level, offered some relief as the war in Iran nears its seventh month. The energy shock stemming from disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continues to challenge analysts and drive inflation higher, complicating the outlook for global central banks.

Chip stocks, meanwhile, have largely recovered from a sell-off earlier this week, fueled by Anthropic and OpenAI's call for a slowdown in AI development. The PHLX Semiconductor Index (^SOX) was down only slightly for the week heading into the final trading session. Yahoo Finance reports.

🧪 Xenon Pauses New Enrollment in Depression, Bipolar Disorder Trials Over Side-Effect Concerns; Stock Falls 25% in Pre-Market

Xenon Pharmaceuticals on Thursday said it has temporarily paused enrolling new patients in clinical studies testing its experimental drug for major depression and bipolar disorder following reports of mental and nervous system-related side effects.

Shares of the drug developer tumbled more than 20% in after-hours trading.

The voluntary pause was a precautionary measure taken after consultations with its safety monitoring board and an analysis of adverse events across the trials, Xenon said.

Patients already enrolled in the trials will continue their treatment. The studies are testing azetukalner, an experimental treatment that is also being developed for epilepsy.

Xenon noted that while the severity and frequency of the side effects were consistent with the drug's mechanism of action, they had not appeared in an earlier mid-stage study for depression.

The company is now evaluating potential dose adjustments to help reduce the side effects and improve tolerability. Yahoo Finance reports.

📄 Why Alaunos Therapeutics Shares Are Trading Higher by Around 22%

Shares of Alaunos Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: TCRT) rose sharply in pre-market trading following a Securities and Exchange Commission filing showing that the company approved and adopted its Second Amended and Restated By-Laws, effective immediately.

According to the filing, the adoption took place on Wednesday.

Alaunos Therapeutics shares jumped 21.8% to $1.95 in pre-market trading. Benzinga reports.

🖥️ Oracle Could Be 26% Below Fair Value After Project Jupiter Update

Oracle (ORCL) is back in focus after reaffirming that its Project Jupiter data center in New Mexico is proceeding under existing county permits, while a separate microgrid faces a stayed air quality review.

Oracle shares have been volatile, with the stock up 2.0% in the last session but down 11.4% over the past week and roughly 26.9% year to date.

The one-year total shareholder return is down about 52.0%, compared with three-year and five-year returns of 31.4% and 73.2%, respectively. Recent AI spending, debt concerns, restructuring costs, and data center developments such as Project Jupiter have weighed on shorter-term momentum. Yahoo Finance reports.

🍔 Burger Franchisee Closes 60 Stores, Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Financially challenged fast-food franchisees have continued filing for bankruptcy protection in 2026 as they seek to reorganize their businesses and restructure debt.

Hardee's Phoenix-based franchisee Superior Star LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 9, facing an alleged seller financing dispute, according to court filings.

Checkers Drive-In franchisee C.S. Holdings of Tampa LLC, which operates two locations in Tampa, Florida, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 14 to reorganize its business.

Another Hardee's franchisee, ARC Burger LLC, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation on April 20, 2026, after Hardee's Restaurants LLC sued the operator for alleged breach of contract, seeking to recover more than $6.5 million in unpaid franchise fees and other obligations. Yahoo Finance reports.

⚙️ Software Stocks Get New Life From Strong Earnings, AI Warnings

Software stocks are regaining momentum after being hit earlier this year by concerns that artificial intelligence could disrupt the industry.

Strong earnings have reassured investors that software companies are still growing, while calls from AI leaders to slow development of the most powerful models have eased some near-term concerns. However, AI may still reshape the industry's longer-term outlook.

The shift is also showing up in market performance. In the first half of 2026, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) doubled while the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) fell 14%.

Since then, SOX has declined about 19%, while IGV has risen 17%. Cybersecurity stocks have performed particularly well, with a Goldman Sachs basket of cybersecurity companies up 65% this year. 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) IMCC: IM Cannabis Corp.
Total gain: +136.78%

2) TCRT: Alaunos Therapeutics, Inc.
Total gain: +41.25%

3) MEDS: DataMEDS AI, Inc.
Total gain: +19.61%

4) AKAN: Akanda Corp.
Total gain: +17.35%

5) CPOP: Pop Culture Group Co., Ltd
Total gain: +15.86%

The closing price of the top three market percent gainers trading near or above $2 on Sep 17.

(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) PAAI: Paradium AI, Inc.
Total gain: +271.15%

The company provided an update regarding its signed strategic relationship with RTB Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq: RTB), which operates as Roundtable, following an announcement issued today by Roundtable. Businesswire reports.

2) DAIC: CID HoldCo, Inc.
Total gain: +163.68%

The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

3) BIAF: bioAffinity Technologies, Inc.
Total gain: +63.55%

The company announced that the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department has granted a patent for the Company’s proprietary platform technology for predicting the likelihood of lung cancer using flow cytometry and fluorescent markers to characterize cell populations in sputum. Businesswire reports.

Ratios represent the number of post-split shares received for each pre-split share held.

CUEXF

Copperex Resources

Payable on: 18 Sep 2026

Non Optionable

1:10 Ratio

LECRF

Leocor Mining

Payable on: 18 Sep 2026

Non Optionable

1:10 Ratio

PNXPF

Planet Ventures

Payable on: 18 Sep 2026

Non Optionable

1:5 Ratio

Time (ET) / Report / Period

• 9:15 AM / Industrial Production, M/M% / Aug.
• 9:15 AM / Capacity Utilization % / Aug.
• 10:00 AM / Leading Indicators / Aug.

“If you have trouble imagining a 20% loss in the stock market, you shouldn't be in stocks.”

– John C. Bogle

Sourced in: The Little Book of Common Sense Investing — GoodReads.

TradeZero America, Inc., a United States broker dealer, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC); TradeZero, Inc., a Bahamian broker dealer, registered with the Securities Commission of the Bahamas ; TradeZero Canada Securities ULC, a Canadian broker dealer, member firm of Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF); and TradeZero Europe B.V., a Dutch broker dealer, authorized and regulated by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) (collectively, the “TradeZero Broker Dealers”).

TradeZero Broker Dealers offer self-directed electronic securities trading to their customers. TradeZero Broker Dealers do not provide financial or trading advice and do not make investment recommendations to their customers. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security or instrument which it may reference.

The information in this newsletter summarizes the latest market activity and related news and are provided for educational purposes only. Any trading symbols displayed are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute a recommendation by TradeZero to buy, sell, or hold any investment. This material is not intended to provide investment advice or to take into account any individual’s financial condition, investment objectives, or requirements.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.

There is a risk of loss in online trading of securities including equities and options. Trading on margin is for experienced investors whereby the loss can be greater than your initial investment. Likewise, short selling as a securities trading strategy is extremely risky and can lead to potentially unlimited losses.

Options trading is not suitable for all investors as it can involve risk that may expose investors to significant losses. Please read the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options, also known as the Options Disclosure Document (ODD) at OCC.

Stocks experiencing significant price volatility may involve substantial risk. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Any trading strategies discussed are for educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice or a recommendation.

Certain information herein has been obtained from third-party sources believed to be reliable; however, its accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of TradeZero, its affiliates, or employees.

If you have any specific questions about TradeZero's brokerage services, please reach out to the TradeZero Broker Dealer servicing your jurisdiction.

Copyright © TradeZero 2026. All rights reserved.