Stock futures point flat before the open: pre-market brief for October 16, 2026
U.S. stocks closed mostly higher on Thursday, October 15, 2026, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average leading gains at +1.08%, while the S&P 500 added +0.33% and the Nasdaq edged up +0.08%. Market breadth was strongly positive, with 374 advancers against 119 decliners. Ahead of Friday's open, S&P 500 futures are slightly higher, while Nasdaq 100 and Dow futures are marginally lower.
| Ticker | Company | Price ($) | Change | Week to date | Dollar volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EFX | Equifax | 161.26 | +7.25% | +10.62% | $322M |
| RDDT | 159.36 | +7.24% | -0.34% | $642M | |
| FICO | Fair Isaac | 769.93 | +6.99% | +15.33% | $595M |
| IP | International Paper | 34.10 | +6.90% | +6.16% | $307M |
| APP | AppLovin | 279.29 | +6.52% | +0.81% | $1.2B |
| INTU | Intuit | 330.17 | +6.36% | +9.06% | $1.5B |
| COIN | Coinbase | 183.81 | +6.32% | +2.46% | $1.6B |
| CSGP | CoStar | 32.00 | +6.28% | +7.85% | $178M |
| EXPE | Expedia | 291.87 | +6.25% | +6.44% | $688M |
| NOW | ServiceNow | 148.57 | +6.14% | +5.47% | $2.6B |
| Ticker | Company | Price ($) | Change | Week to date | Dollar volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HPE | Hewlett Packard Enterprise | 58.63 | -7.10% | -20.19% | $2.0B |
| DELL | Dell Technologies | 473.39 | -6.80% | -19.22% | $7.8B |
| P | Everpure | 133.40 | -5.72% | -13.65% | $840M |
| ANET | Arista Networks | 185.58 | -5.04% | -14.38% | $1.9B |
| WMB | Williams Companies | 69.22 | -4.92% | -4.75% | $878M |
| COHR | Coherent | 250.60 | -4.83% | -19.84% | $2.5B |
| TER | Teradyne | 343.21 | -4.52% | -14.77% | $1.6B |
| KEYS | Keysight Technologies | 342.08 | -4.35% | -10.63% | $604M |
| FIX | Comfort Systems USA | 1,481.27 | -3.92% | -13.66% | $1.2B |
| AMAT | Applied Materials | 430.01 | -3.72% | -15.19% | $5.2B |
| Market | Last | Change | Week to date |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | 7,744.06 | +0.33% | -0.86% |
| Nasdaq | 26,713.03 | +0.08% | -2.39% |
| Dow Jones | 52,177.69 | +1.08% | +1.01% |
| Russell 2000 | 2,767.27 | +1.38% | -1.41% |
| S&P 500 futures | 7,799.75 | +0.11% | - |
| Nasdaq 100 futures | 30,094.50 | -0.16% | - |
| Dow futures | 52,412.00 | -0.03% | - |
| VIX | 16.06 | -2.43% | - |
| 10-year yield (%) | 5.09 | -1.95% | - |
| US Dollar Index | 101.72 | -0.28% | - |
| Gold ($/oz) | 4,197.20 | +0.65% | - |
| WTI crude ($) | 96.15 | -1.86% | - |
| Bitcoin ($) | 82,232.36 | +0.11% | - |
How did the major U.S. stock indices perform on Thursday, October 15, 2026?
The Dow rose +1.08% to 52,177.69, the S&P 500 gained +0.33% to 7,744.06, the Nasdaq added +0.08% to 26,713.03, and the Russell 2000 climbed +1.38% to 2,767.27. Advancers outpaced decliners 374 to 119 across S&P 500 constituents.
Thursday's session showed broad-based strength, with the small-cap Russell 2000 and the Dow leading the way. The S&P 500 posted a modest gain, while the Nasdaq lagged with a fractional advance.
Market breadth was solidly positive: 374 S&P 500 constituents closed higher, 119 lower, and 10 unchanged. The VIX, a measure of expected volatility, stood at 16.06, down -2.43% on the day.
What are the pre-market futures indicating for Friday, October 16, 2026?
S&P 500 futures are up +0.11% at 7,799.75, Nasdaq 100 futures are down -0.16% at 30,094.50, and Dow futures are down -0.03% at 52,412. The market has not yet opened, so these levels can change before the opening bell.
Futures point to a mixed open, with S&P 500 futures slightly higher while Nasdaq 100 and Dow futures are marginally lower. The U.S. Dollar Index is at 101.717, down -0.28%, and the 10-year Treasury yield stands at 5.089%, down -1.95% from the prior session.
Commodities are mixed: gold is up +0.65% at $4,197.20 per ounce, WTI crude is down -1.86% at $96.15 per barrel, and Bitcoin is up +0.11% at $82,232.36.
Which S&P 500 stocks posted the largest gains on Thursday, October 15, 2026?
Top gainers included Equifax (EFX) +7.25%, Reddit (RDDT) +7.24%, Fair Isaac (FICO) +6.99%, International Paper (IP) +6.90%, and AppLovin (APP) +6.52%. Each traded with dollar volume above $300 million.
Other notable advancers were Intuit (INTU) +6.36%, Coinbase (COIN) +6.32%, CoStar (CSGP) +6.28%, Expedia (EXPE) +6.25%, and ServiceNow (NOW) +6.14%. The reasons for these moves are not in our data; readers can check company SEC filings and press releases.
Among these, ServiceNow recorded the highest dollar volume at $2.62B, followed by Coinbase at $1.63B and Intuit at $1.48B.
Which S&P 500 stocks declined the most on Thursday, October 15, 2026?
Laggards included Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) -7.10%, Dell Technologies (DELL) -6.80%, Everpure (P) -5.72%, Arista Networks (ANET) -5.04%, and Williams Companies (WMB) -4.92%. Dell had the highest dollar volume among losers at $7.76B.
Other decliners were Coherent (COHR) -4.83%, Teradyne (TER) -4.52%, Keysight Technologies (KEYS) -4.35%, Comfort Systems USA (FIX) -3.92%, and Applied Materials (AMAT) -3.72%. The reasons for these declines are not in our data; readers can check company SEC filings and press releases.
Several of these names also rank among the week's worst performers, including HPE -20.19% and Dell -19.22% week-to-date.
Frequently asked questions
What were the best-performing S&P 500 stocks this week through Thursday, October 15, 2026?
Week-to-date leaders include Fair Isaac (FICO) +15.33%, Cognizant (CTSH) +11.10%, Equifax (EFX) +10.62%, Tyler Technologies (TYL) +10.34%, and eBay (EBAY) +9.56%.
What were the worst-performing S&P 500 stocks this week through Thursday, October 15, 2026?
Week-to-date laggards include Lumentum (LITE) -21.19%, Skydance (SKYD) -20.74%, Ciena (CIEN) -20.73%, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) -20.19%, and Coherent (COHR) -19.84%.
What is the market breadth and volatility picture for the S&P 500?
On Thursday, 374 S&P 500 constituents advanced, 119 declined, and 10 were unchanged. The VIX stood at 16.06, down -2.43% on the day.
Bottom line
Thursday's session ended with broad gains across major indices, led by the Dow and Russell 2000, while pre-market futures suggest a mixed open on Friday. Week-to-date, the Dow is up +1.01%, while the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Russell 2000 remain lower. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Live tables are updated during the session on our stock market page.