U.S. stock futures moved slightly higher on Wednesday as investors held back ahead of new inflation data, with the third-quarter earnings season also underway. Barron's is providing live coverage of the session.

Dow futures rose about 236 points, or 0.5%. S&P 500 futures gained 0.2%, while Nasdaq 100 futures were flat. Trading stayed in a narrow range as caution set in, with investors waiting to see the Consumer Price Index report before making larger moves.

September CPI Report in Focus

The CPI report is due at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. The consumer price index tracks the average change in prices paid by U.S. consumers, making it one of the most closely watched inflation gauges. Economists expect higher gas and energy prices to have pushed September headline inflation up 3.6% from a year earlier. Experts said a hotter reading could put an October Fed rate hike back in play. The Federal Reserve is scheduled to meet October 27 to 28.

Core CPI, which filters out volatile energy and food prices, will also be watched as Wall Street gauges what the Fed may do with interest rates. Policymakers tend to treat the core measure as a gauge of underlying price trends.

The bond market is also in focus. U.S. Treasury yields held steady in early trading, with the 10-year yield near multiyear highs. Long-term yields shape mortgage rates and corporate borrowing costs, giving equity investors a reason to track them alongside inflation data.

Bank Earnings and Chip Stocks in Focus

Banks reported mixed results on Tuesday. JPMorgan, the largest U.S. bank by assets, posted a rare quarterly earnings miss, and bank stocks broadly fell.

JPMORGAN $JPM Q3’26 EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS 🔹 Managed Revenue: $50.9B; +8% YoY 🔹 Adj. EPS: $5.75 (Est. $5.90) 🔴 🔹 GAAP EPS: $5.57; +10% YoY 🔹 Fixed Income Markets: $5.4B (Est. $5.89B) 🔴 🔹 Equity Markets: $5.0B (Est. $4.5B) 🟢; +49% YoY Segment Revenue: 🔹 Consumer &… pic.twitter.com/avi7a3KMHL

— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) October 13, 2026

Source: Wall St Engine on X

The figures shared by Wall St Engine showed JPMorgan's adjusted earnings per share at $5.75, below the $5.90 estimate, while GAAP earnings per share of $5.57 rose 10% year over year. Fixed income markets revenue of $5.4 billion missed the $5.89 billion estimate, though equity markets revenue of $5.0 billion beat the $4.5 billion expectation, up 49% year over year. Managed revenue came in at $50.9 billion, an 8% increase from a year earlier.

Other investment banks also reported on Tuesday, and those results suggested consumers are holding up despite higher interest rates. Bank earnings are often read as a barometer for the wider economy because lenders sit at the center of household credit and corporate activity. More financial firms report today, with BlackRock, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and State Street all scheduled to post results.

Money has been moving out of technology and into defensive and healthcare stocks. Defensive stocks typically see steadier demand across economic cycles. That rotation has given the Dow a slight edge over the tech-heavy Nasdaq again this morning.

Chip stocks are also in view. ASML reports on Wednesday, and Taiwan Semiconductor follows on Thursday. ASML supplies lithography equipment essential to advanced chipmaking, and Taiwan Semiconductor is the world's largest contract chipmaker, giving their results a broad read on semiconductor demand. Investors will look for signs that AI demand remains strong.

Stocks were poised for a recovery as the chip sell-off eased in South Korea. The KOSPI index rose after falling 12% over the past five days. The index is heavily weighted toward semiconductors, home to memory giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Nasdaq 100 futures were just above the flatline.

Oil prices remain a concern. Brent crude futures, the global benchmark, held above $105 per barrel as the Houthis continued to bomb Saudi Arabian energy facilities. Energy costs feed directly into consumer inflation readings, tying crude's climb to the day's CPI focus.

This article originally appeared on CoinCentral.