Beacon Post
A trader works at the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 21, 2026. NYSE U.S. equity futures rose late Wednesday after investors digested third-quarter earnings from big tech names including Meta Platforms and Tesla. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures ticked down 0.2%, or 92 points.
S&P 500 futures fell 0.3%, and Nasdaq-100 futures dropped 0.5%. Shares of Meta gained 2% in extended trading. The Facebook and Instagram parent delivered a revenue beat along with strong guidance for the current quarter.
Meanwhile, Tesla reported a better-than-expected top and bottom line for its third-quarter results. Shares of the electric vehicle maker were last off 2%. "The quarter showed the AI investment paying off in the core," said Dan Ives, partner and senior managing director at Yorkville Ives in his post Meta earnings reaction note.
Spend is "better controlled than feared," Ives added as Meta narrowed the range for its full-year data center-related capital expenditures. The action follows a positive day on Wall Street, with the S&P 500 notching a three-day win streak, while the Dow jumped 360 points. The Nasdaq Composite closed 1% higher, catching a tailwind from SpaceX and Tesla .
Blowout quarterly results from SpaceX fueled investors' excitement for the artificial intelligence trade, sending shares of Micron Technology and Advanced Micro Devices higher. Also fanning the flames was news from Super Micro Computer , which lifted its fiscal first-quarter revenue outlook . There was also some focus on Nvidia's U.S. supply chain agreements Wednesday.
The chip giant announced plans to expand global manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand for its accelerated computing and full-stack AI factory platform. Looking ahead to Thursday, there are a host of companies on deck to report results including Procter & Gamble, Lockheed Martin, Valero Energy and Honeywell. Investors will also be paying attention to the economic calendar with weekly initial jobless claims set to release Thursday morning. 7 Min Ago IBM stock volatile in after-hours trading following earnings report Shares of International Business Machines swung wildly in extended trading after the company posted its third quarter results.
IBM was last down more than 3%, but the stock initially popped after the tech stalwart beat Wall Street' expectations. Stock Chart IconStock chart icon IBM shares in the past day The company reported adjusted earnings of $2.95 per share for the third quarter, compared to analysts polled by LSEG's expectations for $2.86 per share. Revenue also beat estimates, and IBM now expects free cash flow for full-year 2026 to increase by more than $1 billion over the year prior. — Paulina Likos 19 Min Ago Southwest Airlines cuts its 2026 profit forecast The Texas-based air carrier cut its 2026 profit outlook on Wednesday, citing higher fuel prices.
Southwest Airlines is the third carrier to trim its profit guidance this month, after Delta Airlines and United. Southwest now anticipates earning between $2.60 and $2.85 per share on an adjusted basis this year, down from its July call for $3.25 to $4.25 per share. Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Shares of Southwest Airlines in the past day Shares of Southwest were last down 0.2% in extended trading. — Paulina Likos 28 Min Ago Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Meta Platforms, Tesla, Lam Research Several stocks made dramatic moves in extended trading following their latest earnings releases.
Tesla — Elon Musk's auto manufacturer shed earlier gains and last traded down 2%. Tesla posted beats on the top and bottom lines in the third quarter . The company earned 48 cents per share on an adjusted basis and posted revenue of $28.05 billion.
Analysts polled by LSEG were looking for 43 cents a share and $27.88 billion. Meta Platforms — The social media giant gained 3% in extended trading after revenue came in ahead of analysts' estimates. Third-quarter revenue of $64.60 billion topped the LSEG consensus call for $63.37 billion.
The midpoint of its fourth-quarter sales guidance was also above the Street's estimates. Lam Research — The semiconductor manufacturing equipment company dropped more than 5%. Lam sees second-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.33 per share, plus or minus 15 cents, on revenue of $8.60 billion, plus or minus $400 million.
That compares to analysts' expectation for $2.31 per share and revenue of $8.53 billion. Read more about Wednesday evening's after-hours movers here . — Darla Mercado 34 Min Ago U.S. stock futures open lower Wednesday night Stock futures opened lower shortly after 6 p.m. in New York. Futures tied to the S&P 500 were down 0.2%, while Nasdaq-100 futures fell 0.3%.
Dow futures ticked down 0.1%, or about 72 points. -- Darla Mercado
Source: CNBC
