This live blog is refreshed throughout the day with the latest updates from the market. To find the latest Stock Market Today threads, click here.
Happy Monday. Stock futures were rising and oil prices were sliding as Wall Street prepares for a week of earnings reports and a Fed policy decision.
Markets finished lower Friday, capping off a losing week, as AI spending concerns continued alongside rising oil prices and escalating tensions in the Middle East.
“Global markets rounded out the week in nervous fashion as geopolitical risk and what’s being perceived as a lukewarm reporting period on Wall Street weighed on market sentiment,” said Kyle Rodda, senior financial market analyst with Capital.com.
“Fears about an escalation in the war between the US and Iran are ratcheting up again, amid rumors and signs that the US is preparing to launch fresh strikes against Iran after the midterm elections.”
Rodda said that several factors collide in the week ahead that could determine how the markets fare for the rest of 2026.
US corporate earnings are chief amongst those, with the likes of Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOG) and Amazon (AMZN) reporting, while market participants direct attention to CAPEX guidance and growth, he added.
The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has a two-day meeting scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
“The volatility in the markets will be compounded by a slew of central bank decisions, including the US Federal Reserve,” Rodda said. “The markets are only implying a 10% chance of a hike at this meeting, but market participants will be searching for clues the central bank is warming up the market for a hike in December.”
“Meanwhile, US midterm elections will cast a shadow over the market ahead of next week’s poll, especially given it’s being treated as an unofficial deadline for peace talks with Iran before the US re-escalates the war.”