U.S. stock futures edged higher Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, as technology shares recovered from earlier selling pressure tied to AI infrastructure costs and elevated borrowing rates.
Dow Jones futures rose 75 points, or 0.1 percent, as of 02:59 ET (06:59 GMT). S&P 500 futures gained seven points, also 0.1 percent, while Nasdaq 100 futures remained flat. Thursday's session had already pared earlier-week declines across the main U.S. indices.
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh offered a measured assessment of the U.S. economy during remarks in Thailand, noting resilience despite tighter monetary conditions. On inflation, Warsh acknowledged the problem directly: "it was hard to be in a discussion with fellow central bankers and not compare notes and hear the same thing about the surge in prices."
Yet Warsh stopped short of signaling the Fed's next move. "I did not believe in saying now what I might do at the meetings that we have in the balance of this year," he said. That stance keeps the Fed's hands free ahead of its Oct. 27-28 policy meeting. The central bank raised rates 25 basis points in September and is focused on returning inflation to its 2 percent target.
CoreWeave (NASDAQ:CRWV), an AI infrastructure play hammered Wednesday, stabilized Thursday. The stock's rebound helped lift sector sentiment.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) drew investor attention after unveiling a redesigned Roadster with rocket-inspired propulsion technology. Shares fell 1.3 percent to $362.44 on the day.
Taiwan is reportedly tightening restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports to China, a shift that could constrain supply chains for critical technology components.
