S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures advanced on Monday as attention turned to Apple's forthcoming quarterly financial release following its resurgence as the world's most valuable listed company. Caution persists across trading desks due to Intel's recent 29 percent plunge, elevated default insurance costs, and upcoming central bank rate decisions. Meanwhile, crude prices retreated more than 2 percent as Iranian and Qatari mediators worked to resolve the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Safe-haven assets saw mixed action, with gold rebounding to $3,911 an ounce and 10-year U.S. Treasury yields holding at 4.941 percent.
Key points
Anticipation around Apple's earnings and iPhone 18 updates is helping equities recover fr…: Anticipation around Apple's earnings and iPhone 18 updates is helping equities recover from October's steep tech sell-off.
Investors face a crowded calendar featuring the ISM manufacturing survey, the U.S. payrol…: Investors face a crowded calendar featuring the ISM manufacturing survey, the U.S. payrolls report, and foreign interest rate decisions.
Crude oil prices are softening as diplomatic talks continue between mediators despite ong…: Crude oil prices are softening as diplomatic talks continue between mediators despite ongoing tanker strikes in the Gulf.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
SYDNEY, Nov 2 : Share markets steadied in Asia on Monday as investors hoped for Apple earnings later in the day to provide some relief from AI cash-burn worries, while oil prices eased after talks continued between Iranian and Qatari mediators.
Apple has been an oasis of relative calm given it does not spend billions on data centres, and its shares have climbed for four months straight to help it unseat Nvidia as the world's most valuable listed company.
Analysts are looking for quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $2 on revenue of $113 billion, up from $1.85 the same time last year. The company might also offer some guidance on how early sales of the iPhone 18 are performing with pre-orders having started in mid-October.
The optimism helped S&P 500 futures edge up 0.4 per cent, while Nasdaq futures bounced 0.8 per cent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq lost almost 7 per cent in October for its worst month since the 'Liberation Day' tariff rout of April 2025.
Some upbeat news is sorely needed after concerns about negative cash flow and…
A sharp retreat in battery consumption and looming trade headwinds have prompted analysts to downgrade raw material projections through the end of 2028. Upcoming regulatory changes in Europe and the rollback of tax incentives in Beijing are accelerating this downturn by dampening electric vehicle and energy-storage purchases. Consequently, end-users are expected to defer bulk orders and maintain minimal inventories, leaving near-term spot pricing under prolonged pressure.
Authorities are stepping in to halt an equity downturn after an 8.5% slide in October dragged the CSI 300 Index into bear-market territory. Financial watchdogs are exploring optimized lending initiatives for share repurchases alongside expanded funding quotas for state asset managers to directly back equities. These coordinated efforts aim to revive investor confidence amid mounting concerns over contracting economic indicators and corporate earnings.
Market participants across the region shifted into risk-on positioning, directing capital toward technology shares. This positive momentum reflects heightened investor focus on corporate earnings as quarterly results from major industry leaders loom. The resulting upward trajectory established broad support across regional exchanges during the trading session.