Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures tumble as credit fears stalk markets
October 17, 2025
Breaking News
Image source: Adobe Stock
US stocks continued to sell off before the bell on Friday as fears spread about regional banks' exposure to bad loans and US credit quality, spurring an exodus by investors to safe havens.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell roughly 0.8%, while those on the S&P 500 tumbled 1.1%. Contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 led the retreat, down 1.3%.
Stocks are set for a second day of losses after two US regional lenders disclosed problems with loans, allegedly linked to fraud.
Those troubles deepened Wall Street jitters sparked by JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon's "cockroach" warning, seen as further signs of cracks in the creditworthiness of US borrowers.
A rush to safety picked up pace on Friday, with investors flocking to less-risky assets such as bonds and gold
The 10-year Treasury yield fell further below the key 4% level, while gold rose to a fresh record above $4,300 an ounce.
The stock selloff caps a turbulent week for markets, plagued by rising US-China trade tensions and the prospect of a prolonged US federal shutdown. Yahoo Finance reports.
EdgeUp
🏛️ Shares of regional banks fall after Dimon’s cockroach warning
Wall Street's credit worries are intensifying after a warning from JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon about cockroaches in the US economy.
Investors on Thursday punished the stocks of regional banks and an investment bank exposed to the bankruptcy of an auto parts maker.
The regional banks that plummeted Thursday were Phoenix-based Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL) and Salt Lake City's Zions Bancorporation (ZION). Zions' stock fell 13% and Western Alliance's stock fell nearly 10%.
Their pullbacks came after Zions on Wednesday said it took a $50 million charge-off – a measure of unpaid debt written off as a loss – for two business loans extended through its California Bank & Trust division. Yahoo Finance reports.
📊 Lithium Americas is deemed vital by Trump, but investors beware, J.P. Morgan says
Lithium Americas Corp. saw its stock surge recently after the federal government took a stake in the company, but J.P. Morgan warns that investors should not get carried away with the the lithium producer’s newfound popularity in Washington.
The lithium industry, like those for rare earths and chips, has been deemed vital for national security by the Trump administration.
The element is an important component in rechargeable batteries that power electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as a variety of consumer electronics.
Fueled by the Trump administration’s support, Lithium Americas’ stock LAC is up 129.5% over the past month.
Shares of Lithium Americas tumbled on J.P. Morgan’s downgrade. MarketWatch reports.
🤖 Exclusive: Micron to exit server chips business in China after ban, sources say
Micron plans to stop supplying server chips to data centres in China after the business failed to recover from a 2023 government ban on its products in critical Chinese infrastructure, two people briefed on the decision said.
Micron was the first US chipmaker to be targeted by Beijing – a move that was seen as retaliatory for a series of curbs by Washington aimed at impeding tech progress by China's semiconductor industry. Reuters reports.
💊 Novo Nordisk shares fall 6% after Trump vows weight-loss drug price cuts
Novo Nordisk shares fell as much as 6.4% in early Friday trade after U.S. President Donald Trump signalled the price of the Danish drugmaker's weight-loss drugs would be lowered.
Since taking office in January, Trump has been striving to narrow the gap between US and foreign drug prices. Under its "most favored nation" policy, the US government will require drugmakers to charge patients in the U.S. no more than in other wealthy nations. Reuters reports.
🕶️ EssilorLuxottica hits record high after Meta AI glasses help drive sales beat
Shares in Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica, hit an all-time high on Friday, surging over 10% after the eyewear giant's record quarter showed sales of its Ray-Ban Meta, opens new tab smart glasses gaining momentum.
The Franco-Italian group reported on Thursday third-quarter sales growth of 11.7% from a year ago to 6.9 billion euros ($8.1 billion), beating expectations and marking its best quarterly performance ever. Reuters reports.
Top 5 Movers in Early Pre-Market
(All pricing and percent gains are based on Early Pre-Market from 4:00 AM to 7:00 AM Eastern Time)
Benzinga reports.
1) MPV: Barings Participation
Total gain: +147.98%
2) SGBX: Safe & Green Holdings
Total gain: +32.14%
3) RAYA: Erayak Power Solution
Total gain: +12.39%
4) GWH: ESS Tech
Total gain: +12.3%
5) RVMD: Revolution Medicines
Total gain: +11.11%
Yesterday’s Biggest Movers
The closing price of the top three market percent gainers trading near or above $3 on October 16.
Stock Analysis reports.
*All pricing and percent gains are based on regular market trading hours from 9:30am to 4:00pm Eastern Time
1) PRAX: Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc.
Total gain: +183.71%
The company announced the pricing of its underwritten public offering of 3,025,480 shares of its common stock at a public offering price per share of $157.00 and, in lieu of shares of common stock, pre-funded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 318,470 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $156.9999 per pre-funded warrant, which equals the public offering price per share of the common stock less the $0.0001 per share exercise price of each pre-funded warrant. GlobeNewswire reports.
2) APLM: Apollomics, Inc.
Total gain: +64.00%
The company announced that it had received a letter from Nasdaq on October 14, 2025, notifying Apollomics the Staff had determined that the Company is in compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements. Accordingly, Nasdaq has cancelled its appeal hearing and the Company’s securities will remain listed and continue to trade on The Nasdaq Stock Market. GlobeNewswire reports.
3) ELWS: Earlyworks Co., Ltd
Total gain: +38.59%
The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.
Today’s Notable Earnings
*Estimate and Actual numbers represent Earnings Per Share in US Dollars
SLB: SLB
Q3 2025
Before Market Open
Estimate: 0.670
Actual: N/A
STT: State Street
Q3 2025
Before Market Open
Estimate: 2.640
Actual: N/A
AXP: American Express
Q3 2025
Before Market Open
Estimate: 3.980
Actual: N/A
Today’s Economic Dates
Time (ET) | Report | Period
8:30 AM - *Housing starts - Sept.
8:30 AM - *Building permits - Sept.
8:30 AM - *Import price index - Sept.
Parting Thoughts
“An investor without investment objectives is like a traveler without a destination.”
– Ralph Seger
Sourced in: 50 Trading Quotes From Top by Quantified Strategies.
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