ASX today, ASX futures up 0.1%, Nasdaq up 1.05%

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Samso Market Update | Thursday, 22 October 2026 | Pre-market 9:45am AEDT

Futures point to a slightly higher open on the ASX today. ASX 200 futures were up 0.1% at 8,854 points at about 7:15am AEDT, according to the ABC News market snapshot. A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell at a set price on a later date. Its price is used as a guide to where the index will open. That 0.1% is the change in the futures price, which is a separate measure from Wednesday's index close. The ABC said futures were pointing up "as Wall Street closes higher for Wednesday afternoon trading". The Australian dollar was buying approximately 70.3 US cents at 7:51am AEDT (Yahoo Finance data).

The S&P/ASX 200 closed on Wednesday at 8,831.3, up 14.4 points or 0.16%. The All Ordinaries, which tracks the 500 largest listed companies, rose 0.14% to 8,956.6. The S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries, an index of the companies ranked 101 to 300 by size, rose 0.11% to 3,153.7. Wednesday's editions are at ASX today, Wednesday 21 October 2026, and Tuesday's are at ASX today, Tuesday 20 October 2026.

ASX today: Key Highlights

ASX 200 futures were up 0.1% at 8,854 at about 7:15am AEDT (ABC News).
The Nasdaq Composite rose 1.05% on Wednesday, the S&P 500 0.58% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.69%.
Meta Platforms reported its third-quarter result after the US close, and its shares were up approximately 3.5% in extended trading at about 5:20pm New York time.
Netflix fell 5.31% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell approximately 0.9%.
House prices across the capital cities fell 4.7% in the September quarter, the steepest quarterly drop on record, according to Domain data reported by the ABC. Prices fell in every capital city.
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare told the ASX at 7:30am AEDT that it had been made aware of unauthorised and unlawful access to two employee email accounts and a subset of company files.

Wall Street overnight

Wall Street finished higher on Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 360.21 points or 0.69% to 52,856.09. The S&P 500 rose 44.60 points or 0.58% to 7,757.17. The Nasdaq Composite rose 278.04 points or 1.05% to 26,702.86. The Russell 2000, an index of smaller US companies, rose 0.27% to 2,781.02 (Yahoo Finance data).

Reuters, in a report published at 4:01pm New York time, said SpaceX shares rose after the company reported its first profit as a public company. It said Super Micro Computer rose after it forecast quarterly revenue and profit margin above Wall Street estimates. Reuters said information technology was the best of the S&P 500's 11 sectors. It said AT&T, Netflix and Alphabet fell in the communication services sector, and that Abbott Laboratories fell after it cut its 2026 sales growth forecast. SpaceX closed up 7.79% and Netflix down 5.31% (Yahoo Finance data).

Meta Platforms and Tesla reported after the close. Meta reported third-quarter revenue of US$64.60 billion, up 26% on a year earlier. It now expects 2026 capital expenditure, including principal payments on finance leases, of US$135 billion to US$145 billion, narrowed from its earlier outlook of US$130 billion to US$145 billion (Meta results release). Its shares were up approximately 3.5% in extended trading at about 5:20pm New York time, from approximately 5.5% at about 4:50pm (Yahoo Finance data). Tesla reported third-quarter revenue of US$28.05 billion, flat on a year earlier and in line with a consensus of US$28.06 billion, and adjusted earnings of 48 US cents a share against a consensus of 45 cents, Electrek reported. Tesla shares were up approximately 0.3% in extended trading at about 4:50pm.

The US 10-year Treasury yield was at approximately 5.15% at about 3pm New York time on Wednesday, up about 3 basis points from Tuesday (Yahoo Finance data). A Treasury is a US government bond. A bond yield is the yearly return from buying a government bond at today's price and holding it until it is repaid. When yields rise, bond prices fall. A basis point is one hundredth of a percentage point. The US Federal Reserve's next policy meeting is on 27 and 28 October (Federal Reserve calendar).

Japan and Asia

The Nikkei 225 closed on Wednesday at 64,621.24, up 545.82 points or 0.85% (Yahoo Finance data). The US dollar was buying approximately 158.13 yen at 7:51am AEDT, little changed from approximately 158.14 yen at 8:46am AEDT on Wednesday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell approximately 0.9% on Wednesday, and the Shanghai Composite fell 0.60% to 3,713.03. Asia was split, with Tokyo higher and Hong Kong and Shanghai lower.

London and Europe

London's FTSE 100 closed on Wednesday at 10,752.88, up 19.88 points or 0.19% (Yahoo Finance data). Germany's DAX rose 1.35% to 25,645.04. France's CAC 40 rose 1.06% to 7,921.68. UK consumer price inflation rose to 3.5% in the 12 months to September, from 3.1% in August, the Office for National Statistics reported. It said transport, particularly motor fuels, made the largest upward contribution. FXStreet reported that economists had expected 3.4%.

Currencies

The Australian dollar's 70.3 US cents at 7:51am AEDT compares with approximately 70.1 cents at 8:45am AEDT on Wednesday (Yahoo Finance data). The US dollar index, which measures the US dollar against six major currencies, was at approximately 101.70 at 7:41am AEDT, little changed from Tuesday's close. At 7:51am AEDT the euro was at approximately US$1.124 and the British pound at approximately US$1.340.

Commodities

Brent crude futures for December, the front-month contract, which is the one closest to expiry, settled little changed at US$108.82 a barrel, Bloomberg reported. Bloomberg also reported that a drone attack on a Saudi Aramco oil field left two people dead, citing the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Brent for December delivery was at US$109.38 in after-settlement trading at 7:41am AEDT (Yahoo Finance data).

West Texas Intermediate, the US oil benchmark, settled at US$97.15 a barrel, Bloomberg reported. That was the December contract. December became the front-month contract after November expired on Tuesday, so Bloomberg's 4.6% fall compares two different contracts. WTI December was at US$97.51 at 7:41am AEDT, down 0.3% from Tuesday's close for that contract (Yahoo Finance data).

Gold futures for December were at US$4,152.80 an ounce at 7:41am AEDT, up 0.25% from Tuesday's close (Yahoo Finance data). Silver futures for December were little changed at approximately US$58.00 an ounce. Copper futures for December fell 0.49% to US$6.571 a pound.

Iron ore was at approximately US$91.00 a tonne at about 7:15am AEDT, down 0.2%, according to the ABC News market snapshot.

Today's diary

All times AEDT.

Wednesday 7:10pm. Nick Scali expects underlying net profit after tax of A$28 million to A$32 million for the six months to 31 December 2026, excluding approximately A$980,000 of costs from its August cyber security incident. It said first-quarter written sales orders in Australia and New Zealand were 15% below a year earlier, with store traffic approximately 10% lower, and it expects first-half revenue there to be approximately 11% to 14% lower. Its UK written sales orders were 29% higher, and 14% higher on a like-for-like basis.
12:01am. The ABC reported Domain's September quarter house price figures. Perth had the sharpest fall, at 7.4%. Sydney fell 4.7% and Melbourne 3.3%.
7:30am. Fisher & Paykel Healthcare said some of the files accessed contained personally identifiable information. It believes the incident has been contained and does not expect any material impact on its financials or operations.
8:16am. Vault Minerals reported September quarter gold production of 76,849 ounces and sales of 79,085 ounces, at an average realised price of A$6,023 an ounce and an all-in sustaining cost of A$3,529 an ounce. All-in sustaining cost is an industry measure of the cost of producing gold and keeping existing mines running. It leaves out growth spending, exploration for new projects, tax and interest. Vault closed the quarter with cash and bullion of A$886.7 million. It said its merger with Genesis Minerals, by scheme of arrangement, is on track for implementation in late November 2026. A scheme of arrangement is a court-supervised process that needs a shareholder vote, and Vault's scheme meeting is on 11 November.
11:30pm. US initial jobless claims for the week to 17 October.

Samso Concluding Comments

The ABC linked this morning's small rise in futures to Wall Street's higher finish on Wednesday. Reuters said information technology led the US market, with SpaceX up after its first profit as a public company and Super Micro Computer up after an above-estimate forecast, while Netflix, AT&T and Alphabet fell. Meta reported after the US close and its shares were higher in extended trading. Locally, investors will watch the Domain house price figures, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare's cyber incident statement, Nick Scali's trading update and Vault Minerals' September quarter report.

General information only. This is not financial advice.