US stock futures made slight gains Wednesday evening as investors weighed corporate earnings against the escalating US-China trade war.
Futures attached to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) and the benchmark S&P 500 (ES=F) inched up 0.1%. Futures attached to the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) rose 0.2%.
After the bell, Salesforce (CRM) stock advanced after the company issued a strong outlook. J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) also jumped on results that beat expectations. United Airlines (UAL), however, slipped as downbeat revenue weighed on sentiment.
In day trading, stocks edged up, boosted by strong earnings results from Wall Street banks and high hopes for more Fed rate cuts this year.
Markets remain on edge, however, as tensions between the US and China escalate. On Wednesday, President Trump confirmed a trade war is underway, even as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested the US-China tariff pause could be extended. The conflicting messages follow a series of threats by Trump to further restrict trade with China in response to new sanctions and export controls from Beijing.
Meanwhile, the US government shutdown entered its third week, halting the release of key economic reports and leaving investors with fewer data points to gauge the economy’s health. The gridlock in Washington has ever-increasing odds of continuing through until November.
On Thursday, earnings season continues with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) and Charles Schwab (SCHW) reporting results.
Coming soon
Stock market coverage for Thursday, October 16, 2025.