Meta and Tesla prepare for Q3 earnings reports

Nasdaq and S&P 500 decline amid AI funding concerns

The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 index both declined on Friday, October 16, 2026. The Nasdaq finished at 26,140.03, a decrease of 2.14%, while the S&P 500 closed at 7,659.44, down 1.1%.

These indices dropped last week as traders moved away from technology stocks due to apprehensions about rising debt levels from AI funding. The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) also fell by 11.8% in the week prior to October 17.

FactSet data shows that seventy S&P companies are reporting their financial results this week. Approximately 45 S&P 500 companies have reported their figures to date.

Meta shares rise following Muse AI agent launch

Meta shares have increased by more than 25% since the company launched an AI agent named Muse on September 8, 2026. LSEG data indicates that analysts project Meta’s earnings per share to have surged 460% compared with a year earlier.

Tesla faces earnings pressure despite delivery figures

Tesla produced 464,400 vehicles and delivered 486,500 in the third quarter. The company also deployed 13.7 GWh of energy storage products during this period. Deliveries fell 2% from a year earlier but still surpassed analyst estimates.

FactSet analysts estimate the firm will report earnings of $0.45 per share on revenue of $27.935 billion. LSEG data shows analysts expect earnings to drop 14.5% and revenue to fall 1% compared to the same period last year. Wolfe Research estimates Tesla fell short of consensus estimates during this quarter for automobile stocks.

Bespoke Investment Group data indicates Tesla missed analysts’ earnings estimates in two of the last four quarters.

Netflix, SpaceX, and other firms report financial results

Netflix and SpaceX are scheduled to report third-quarter financial results after the market closes on Tuesday, October 20. SpaceX will hold an earnings conference call at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The company’s second-quarter revenue reached $7.8 billion, a 92% increase year-over-year, while forecasts suggest third-quarter revenue may reach approximately $12.89 billion.

Tesla, Meta, IBM, Lam Research, and Texas Instruments will report third-quarter results after the U.S. market close on Wednesday, October 21. SAP is also scheduled to release its earnings on Wednesday, October 21.

Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon are also scheduled to report their earnings this week.

Weekly jobless claims and flash PMIs scheduled

Weekly jobless claims are scheduled for release on Thursday, October 22, 2026.

S&P Global will release its flash PMIs for October on Friday, October 23, 2026.

Federal Reserve enters policy blackout period

The Federal Reserve entered a policy communication blackout period on October 17, 2026. Officials remain in this quiet period before the meeting scheduled for October 27-28, 2026.

Market participants are shifting focus toward third-quarter earnings and fourth-quarter growth indicators during this interval.

September consumer price index rose 3.7% year-over-year. The producer price index climbed 1.3% month-over-month, which is the largest single-month gain since March 2022.

September retail sales grew 0.8% month-over-month and 6.3% year-over-year, indicating that U.S. consumer spending maintains resilience.

Intel earnings scheduled for late October

Intel is scheduled to report its financial earnings on Thursday, October 29, 2026.