Futures slip as investors digest big bank earnings

[October 13, 2023]  By Shashwat Chauhan and Ankika Biswas

(Reuters) -Futures tracking Wall Street's main indexes fell on Friday as investors assessed earnings from big U.S. banks, while Treasury yields eased following a spike in the previous session.

JPMorgan Chase, the biggest U.S. bank, posted a jump in third-quarter profit as higher interest rates boosted its income from loans. Its shares rose 0.5% in premarket trading.

Wells Fargo gained 1.9% after the U.S. lender's profit got a boost from customers paying higher interest on loans.

Citigroup is also set to report quarterly numbers before the opening bell.

BlackRock reported a 13% rise in third-quarter profit on a rebound in markets. However, shares of the world's largest asset manager remained flat.

"Even as market prices have fallen over the past several weeks, earnings estimates for the year ahead have continued to rise," Rob Swanke, senior market strategist at Commonwealth Financial Network, said in a note.

Options traders are bracing for larger-than-usual post-earnings stock price swings for some U.S. banks, despite signs of cooling volatility in broader markets, options data showed.

UnitedHealth advanced 2.5% after beating third-quarter profit estimates, helped by lower-than-expected medical costs for the healthcare conglomerate.

U.S. stocks registered their first decline in five days on Thursday as yields rose after consumer inflation data and weak demand in the auction of U.S. 30-year bonds.

Yields, however, eased on Friday, and the three main U.S. stock indexes were on track to register gains for the week.

Investors will look out for comments from Fed Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker later in the day.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins said on Thursday the strength of the economy is what opens the door to high short-term rates staying in place for a while.

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

Traders put the chance of interest rates remaining unchanged in November and December at around 92% and around 69%, respectively, according to CME's FedWatch tool.

On the data front, a preliminary estimate of the University of Michigan's October Consumer Sentiment Index is due at 10 a.m. ET.

At 6:58 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were down 2 points, or 0.01%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 7.75 points, or 0.18%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 65.5 points, or 0.43%.

Investors also kept an eye on the conflict in Israel. The country's military has called for all civilians of Gaza City, more than 1 million people, to relocate south within 24 hours, as it amassed tanks ahead of an expected ground invasion after a devastating attack by the militant group Hamas.

Among stocks, energy companies Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Callon Petroleum and Occidental Petroleum rose between 1.2% and 2.1%, tracking a near 4% jump in crude oil prices.

Dollar General added 7.4% after the discount store retailer brought back former chief Todd Vasos to replace CEO Jeffery Owen.

Boeing lost 2.9% after the plane-maker and Spirit AeroSystems expanded the scope of their ongoing inspections of a production defect affecting 737 Max 8 aircraft.

(Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)

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