US stock futures point to a slightly lower open, with S&P 500 futures down 0.23% and Nasdaq 100 futures off 0.66% as of 8:31 AM ET. The VIX volatility gauge rose 2.44% to 18.89, signaling a bit more caution in the options market. WTI crude climbed 1.49% to $100.01 a barrel, while gold slipped 0.52% to $4,138.30 an ounce and bitcoin eased 0.47% to $81,457.
| Market | Level | Change |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 futures | 7,716.50 | -0.23% |
| Nasdaq 100 futures | 29,526.75 | -0.66% |
| Russell 2000 futures | 2,738.40 | -0.14% |
| VIX (volatility index) | 18.89 | +2.44% |
| WTI crude oil, per barrel | $100.01 | +1.49% |
| Gold, per ounce | $4,138.30 | -0.52% |
| Bitcoin | $81,457 | -0.47% |
Source: Index futures, volatility and commodity quotes · as of October 20, 2026 at 8:31 AM ET · Change is from the prior session.
The biggest S&P 500 moves
Equifax led S&P 500 gainers before the open, up more than 6%, after the credit reporting company posted quarterly earnings per share above what analysts had expected. MSCI rose nearly 6% after also beating earnings estimates, though CNBC reported the index provider is separately facing scrutiny over its consideration of reclassifying Indonesia's market status. Halliburton gained after topping earnings expectations, and Hilton Worldwide and Moody's Corporation also moved higher before the bell.
On the downside, General Motors fell nearly 7% even though its quarterly earnings per share came in roughly in line with estimates; the Wall Street Journal reported the automaker's board authorized a new $20 billion share buyback program aimed at supporting a stock that executives consider undervalued. Genuine Parts Company dropped more than 6% despite earnings that edged past forecasts. Steel Dynamics slid after MarketWatch reported the steel producer's earnings per share fell short of analysts' forecasts even as profit and revenue grew. GE Aerospace declined despite beating earnings estimates, and Jack Henry & Associates was also among the day's biggest decliners.
| Stock | Company | Pre-market price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| EFX | Equifax | $168.34 | +6.16% |
| MSCI | MSCI | $600.15 | +5.93% |
| HAL | Halliburton | $34.13 | +3.49% |
| HLT | Hilton Worldwide | $357.00 | +3.17% |
| MCO | Moody's Corporation | $492.47 | +2.33% |
Source: Pre-market trades against the prior close, S&P 500 members · as of October 20, 2026 at 8:32 AM ET
| Stock | Company | Pre-market price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| GM | General Motors | $77.05 | -6.89% |
| GPC | Genuine Parts Company | $121.98 | -6.30% |
| STLD | Steel Dynamics | $233.73 | -4.67% |
| GE | GE Aerospace | $298.00 | -4.27% |
| JKHY | Jack Henry & Associates | $146.33 | -4.23% |
Source: Pre-market trades against the prior close, S&P 500 members · as of October 20, 2026 at 8:32 AM ET
On the calendar today
Building permits and housing starts data for September, along with their month-over-month readings, were scheduled for release at 8:30 AM ET, though results were not yet published as of this report. CNBC noted investors are awaiting this housing data along with employment figures ahead of next week's Federal Reserve rate decision.
Still ahead today: pending home sales for September, both the month-over-month figure (estimate -0.5%, prior 0.3%) and year-over-year figure (estimate 1%, prior -4.7%), are due at 10:00 AM ET. The American Petroleum Institute's weekly crude oil stock change report, covering the week of October 16, is expected at 4:30 PM ET, with an estimate of -1.3 million barrels against a prior reading of -11.1 million.
Of the 17 S&P 500 companies reporting earnings today, 12 have already posted results, including Equifax, GE Aerospace, General Motors, Genuine Parts Company, Halliburton, Hasbro, KeyCorp, 3M, MSCI, Northrop Grumman, RTX Corporation and Synchrony Financial. Still due to report are Chubb Limited, Capital One, Intuitive Surgical, Netflix and United Airlines Holdings.
| Time (ET) | Release | Actual | Consensus | Prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM ET | Building Permits (Sep) | — | 1.39 | 1.403 |
| 8:30 AM ET | Housing Starts (Sep) | — | 1.3 | 1.275 |
| 8:30 AM ET | Building Permits MoM (Sep) | — | -0.7 | -2.1 |
| 8:30 AM ET | Housing Starts MoM (Sep) | — | 1.9 | -2.6 |
| 10:00 AM ET | Pending Home Sales MoM (Sep) | — | -0.5 | 0.3 |
| 10:00 AM ET | Pending Home Sales YoY (Sep) | — | 1 | -4.7 |
| 4:30 PM ET | API Crude Oil Stock Change (Oct/16) | — | -1.3 | -11.1 |
Source: Economic calendar
| Stock | Company | EPS estimate | EPS reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| CB | Chubb Limited | $6.79 | Not yet |
| COF | Capital One | $5.50 | Not yet |
| EFX | Equifax | $2.20 | $2.26 |
| GE | GE Aerospace | $2.01 | $2.25 |
| GM | General Motors | $3.69 | $3.70 |
| GPC | Genuine Parts Company | $2.04 | $2.07 |
| HAL | Halliburton | $0.58 | $0.60 |
| HAS | Hasbro | $1.86 | $2.90 |
| ISRG | Intuitive Surgical | $2.65 | Not yet |
| KEY | KeyCorp | $0.46 | $0.51 |
| MMM | 3M | $2.38 | $2.50 |
| MSCI | MSCI | $5.03 | $5.11 |
| NFLX | Netflix | $0.82 | Not yet |
| NOC | Northrop Grumman | $7.18 | $7.89 |
| RTX | RTX Corporation | $1.78 | $2.26 |
| SYF | Synchrony Financial | $2.42 | $2.68 |
| UAL | United Airlines Holdings | $2.57 | Not yet |
Source: Company earnings calendar · "Not yet" means the company had not reported when this was written.
The latest graded results
In the latest graded recap, Cleveland-Cliffs was screened before the open on Monday, October 19, 2026, jumping about 12% in pre-market trading, but it ended that session down slightly from the open to the close after touching a best intraday gain of over 7% following the open.
| Stock | Pre-market move | Open to close | Best move after the open |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLF | +12.05% | -0.63% | +7.36% |
Source: WiseView pre-market screen, graded at the close · Results for a past session, shown as graded. Not a forecast for today.