US stock futures traded mixed on Friday, October 16, 2026, with Dow Jones futures gaining around 0.3% while S&P 500 futures rose 0.2% and Nasdaq-100 futures edged slightly lower. According to CNBC TV18, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq remained on track to end the week lower following a sell-off in semiconductor stocks earlier in the week. For the week, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq were headed for losses, while the Dow was on track to gain around 1%, highlighting the divergent performance across major indexes. US stock futures were mixed as investors assessed concerns around artificial intelligence (AI) trade financing and looked ahead to a fresh batch of corporate earnings next week.
Technology stocks remained under pressure as another sell-off in semiconductor shares weighed on the Nasdaq Composite, with Micron Technology, SanDisk and Intel trading lower amid concerns over Chinese competition and the sustainability of artificial intelligence (AI) investments. According to latest reports, Micron Technology fell 2.60% to $907, while SanDisk declined 2.96% to $1,353.53. Intel shares were down 2.05% at $93.41, as reported at around 10:40-10:41 a.m. US Eastern Time on October 16. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.2% in Friday's session, while the S&P 500 edged up 0.1% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 188 points, or 0.4%. Despite the broader market's modest recovery, technology stocks continued to struggle, leaving the Nasdaq down 2.4% for the week.
Technology stocks remained under pressure amid concerns about intensifying competition from China in the semiconductor industry and uncertainty over the outlook for artificial intelligence-related investments. According to CNBC TV18, the continued selling in technology and AI-linked stocks kept markets on track for weekly losses, with the Nasdaq Composite falling 0.2% despite Friday's modest gains in the broader market. Despite Friday's modest gains in the broader market, technology stocks remained under pressure as investors grapple with concerns about intensifying competition from China in the semiconductor industry and uncertainty over the outlook for artificial intelligence-related investments.
Wall Street overnight was cautious after big banks reported their quarterly earnings report, with financial stocks and chipmaker stocks broadly in the bearish trend. According to CNBC TV18, Bank of America shares fell more than 3% in premarket trading after reporting a 17% year-on-year decline in third-quarter profit, as a $1.2 billion regulatory penalty and a slowdown in its Wall Street business offset growth in lending income. Financial stocks also mostly ended lower following quarterly earnings releases, including Citigroup (-5.3%), Wells Fargo (-2.6%), Goldman Sachs (-0.1%), and JPMorgan (-0.3%). The mixed banking performance reflects ongoing challenges with credit quality and regulatory requirements.
The US September Consumer Price Index (CPI) report is scheduled for release today, October 14, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., with economists expecting both indices to increase 0.4% in September. According to CNBC TV18, economists polled by Dow Jones expect consumer inflation to rise 3.6% year-on-year, compared with 3.4% in the previous reading. The September inflation data is forecasted to reflect a slowdown in the underlying reading from the previous month, with headline inflation expected to rise 0.6% due to higher gasoline prices. Core inflation is likely to rise 0.2%, against 0.3% in the previous month. As reported by Bank of New York Mellon strategist Geoffrey Yu to Bloomberg, "Headline inflation remains elevated, but as long as we don't get something like 1.0% month-on-month, markets should be able to absorb the print quite well."
