By Mark DeCambre, MarketWatch , Andrea Riquier

After the market closes Thursday, EBay Inc., Microsoft Corp., Ford Motor Co., and Tesla Inc. are due to report results

Stocks opened higher Wednesday morning despite a weaker-than-expected report from two Dow components and a poor update from a semiconductor company, with a fresh wave of corporate results on deck.

Wall Street is also watching developments pegged to Brexit, as a vote for a fast-track exit for Britain from the EU was rejected by parliament on Tuesday, but the delay eases concerns about the U.K. crashing out of the bloc without a deal on October 31.

How are major indexes faring?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened 42.57 points higher, at 26,830.67, up 0.16%, while the S&P 500 index was 2.18 points lower at the open, at 2,993.18, a 0.07% decline. The Nasdaq Composite Index opened at 8091, up 13.73 points or 0.14%. All three indexes came back from steeper pre-market declines.

On Tuesday (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/stock-futures-drift-higher-as-one-of-the-busiest-weeks-for-corporate-earnings-unfolds-2019-10-22), the Dow lost 39.54 points, or 0.15%, to 26,788.10, the S&P 500 index fell 10.73 points, or 0.36%, to 2,995.99, while the Nasdaq Composite Index shed 58.69 points, or 0.72%, to 8,104.30.

What's driving the market?

Results from Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) and Boeing Co.(BA) initially knocked the market lower in premarket action on Wednesday, with investors already unsettled from Brexit maneuverings and weakness among chip companies. But both stocks turned sharply higher by market open.

Caterpillar cut its full-year 2019 earnings outlook as it reported third-quarter results that also missed Wall Street's consensus estimates (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/caterpillar-cuts-profit-guidance-as-q3-sales-fall-2019-10-23). Boeing earnings also missed estimates and deliveries of new planes fell short, but revenues beat forecasts (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/boeings-stock-rises-as-profit-falls-well-below-expectations-but-revenue-beats-2019-10-23). But the manufacturer said it expects the beleaguered 737 Max to return to service in the fourth quarter.

That came amid a slide for the semiconductor sector following a poor forecast from Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN) that was much worse than expected in a late-Tuesday earnings report, with new revenue estimate range that fell as much as a half-billion dollars below Wall Street's consensus revenue estimate.

See also: Texas Instruments tanks the chip sector and investors' hopes for a rebound (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/texas-instruments-tanks-the-chip-sector-and-investors-hopes-for-a-rebound-2019-10-22)

Overall, however, earnings from American companies have been better than feared, albeit off lowered expectations. Thus far, of the 98 companies that have reported third-quarter results in the S&P 500, 82.7% have delivered results above analyst expectations, while 12.2% reported below analyst expectations, according to research provider Refinitiv. By comparison, 65% tend to "beat" estimates, and 20% fall below consensus estimates, according to Refinitiv data going back to 1994.

After the market closes Thursday, EBay Inc., Microsoft Corp., Ford Motor Co., and Tesla Inc. are due to report results.

Meanwhile, Parliament's rejection of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's legislative schedule (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/uks-boris-johnson-inches-toward-securing-brexit-but-with-delays-2019-10-23)for Brexit reduced the likelihood of a departure by Oct. 31 or a no-deal exit from the EU. The U.K. government has already asked for an extension to the end of January 2020, and European Council President Donald Tusk said on Twitter that he would recommend that request is granted.

In a light day for U.S. economic data, the Federal Housing Finance Agency's (https://www.fhfa.gov/AboutUs/Reports/Pages/House-Price-Index-August-2019.aspx) house price index for August was 0.2% higher for the month, bringing annual price gains to 4.6%.

Which stocks are in focus?

Caterpillar (CAT) cut its full-year 2019 earnings outlook as it reported third-quarter results that also missed Wall Street's consensus estimates (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/caterpillar-cuts-profit-guidance-as-q3-sales-fall-2019-10-23).

Texas Instruments(TXN) reported earnings per (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hilton-worldwide-raises-profit-outlook-2019-10-23) share of $1.40, excluding certain items, versus the $1.42 analyst consensus and gave a forecast that was much worse than expected late Tuesday. (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/texas-instruments-tanks-the-chip-sector-and-investors-hopes-for-a-rebound-2019-10-22)

Nike Inc. (NKE) shares were down 1.2% after the sports apparel company late Tuesday reported that longtime CEO Mark Parker was stepping down, effective January of next year. He will be replaced by John Donahoe.

Anthem Inc. (ANTM) reported a 23% increase in third-quarter net income (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/anthem-tops-forecasts-on-growing-membership-premium-increases-2019-10-23)to $1.18 billion, or $4.55 a share, as revenue rose 15% to $26.44 billion after increasing medical enrollment by 1.1 million and increasing premiums. Adjusted for items, Anthem said it would've earned $4.87 a share.

Shares of Facebook Inc. (FB) will be in focus as CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify on the social-media giant's effort to launch controversial digital-currency platform Libra. Facebook's stock was down 1.9% in premarket trade Wednesday.

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (HLT) revised its financial targets for the year on Wednesday. The McLean, Va.-based company said it now expects systemwide revenue per available room, or RevPAR, to increase about 1% on a currency neutral basis compared with 2018. The company had previously forecast an increase between 1% and 2%. Shares were edging 0.6% lower on Wednesday.

Waste Management Inc. (WM)said Wednesday (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/waste-management-profit-tops-estimates-but-sales-miss-as-recycled-commodity-values-slide-2019-10-23) it had net income of $495 million, or $1.16 a share, in the third quarter, down from $499 million, or $1.16 a share, in the year-earlier period. Shares of the company fell in the premarket but opened little-changed.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. shares (CMG)were down 4% as trading opened (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chipotle-stock-climbs-after-earnings-beat-2019-10-22) after the fast-Mexican company on Tuesday reported third-quarter net income (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chipotle-stock-climbs-after-earnings-beat-2019-10-22) of $98.6 million, or $3.47 a share, compared with $38.2 million, or $1.36 a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted for items such as restaurant asset impairment expense and restructuring, among other things, earnings were $3.82 a share.

How are other markets performing?

The 10-year Treasury note yield fell to 1.738% on Wednesday from 1.768% late Tuesday in New York. The mixed corporate outlook has investors favoring bonds as they wait out the results still due this week. In Europe, eyes are on Brussels, where an EU agreement to delay Brexit may lead to U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson seeking an early election.

West Texas Intermediate crude for November delivery shed 51 cents, or 1%, to (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-set-for-second-skid-in-a-row-as-investors-fret-about-crude-demand-2019-10-21) $53.96 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after gaining 1.6%, a day ago. Crude oil resumed its decline as U.S. inventories expanded for a sixth week, the longest run of gains in almost a year.

Gold gained for a second day. Gold for December delivery on Comex gained $7.60, or 0.5%, to trade at $1,495.00 an ounce, after trading little changed on Tuesday.

The ICE U.S. Dollar Index , which tracks the performance of the greenback against six major rivals, rose less than 0.1% to 97.56.

Elsewhere, the Stoxx Europe 600 was trading down 0.3% at 393.51. In Asia, China's CSI 300 index finished off 0.6% at 3,871.08 and the Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.4% to 2,941.62, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.8% to reach 26,566.73. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.3% to 22,625.38.

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 23, 2019 09:46 ET (13:46 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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