Stock Market Today: Dow Futures Drop, S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 Rise as Scott Bessent Links September Inflation to 'Energy Shock'— RCAT, ESLT, STLD in Focus (UPDATED)
Key takeaways
- Energy‑related inflation and geopolitical tensions are keeping markets wary, while a busy earnings week will test the resilience of tech and consumer stocks amid higher rates.
- Dow fell 0.30%
- S&P 500 rose 0.39%
- Nasdaq 100 up 1.10%
What happened
U.S. stock futures opened mixed: the Dow fell 0.30%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.39% and the Nasdaq 100 jumped 1.10%. Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended President Trump on rising energy costs, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent linked September’s hotter inflation reading to an "energy shock" tied to the Iran conflict. Vortexa data showed Iran’s seaborne crude exports dropped from 230,000 barrels per day to zero in September and stayed at zero through Oct. 5. Investors are gearing up for a…
Why it matters
The mixed futures reflect uncertainty around energy prices and geopolitical tensions that could keep inflation higher than expected. The drop in Iranian crude exports signals a potential supply shock that may push oil higher, feeding into broader inflation concerns. Earnings from tech giants like Meta and Tesla will…
Short-term and longer-term
Short-term. In the next few days, watch for the earnings releases of Meta and Tesla—any miss could trigger a pullback in tech and growth stocks.
Longer-term. Over the coming months, the earnings season will reveal whether companies can sustain profitability amid higher borrowing costs and energy‑driven inflation.