MARKETS LIVE: US futures climb after Nasdaq record close

• Dow Jones futures: 51,817.00, up 259.00 points on the day.

• S&P 500 futures: 7,861.25, up 35.00 points.

• Nasdaq 100 futures: 31,500.50, up 182.75 points.

9.30 EDT: US futures ease but remain higher

Dow Jones futures fell 100 points, S&P 500 futures slipped 2.25 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures shed 17.50 points since the last update, although all remained higher on the day.

AI enthusiasm supported sentiment, while softer September jobs growth reduced bets on an October Federal Reserve rate rise.

Oil prices fell after Kpler shipping data showed Gulf exporters exceeded pre-war levels for roughly half of September.

However, services companies’ prices paid reached a post-2022 high, keeping concerns about persistent inflation in play. The US 10-year Treasury yield retreated after hitting its highest level in more than two decades on Monday.

PTC led the gainers, up 33.49% at $192.26, while C.H. Robinson was the biggest loser, down 10.85% at $140.61.

Constellation Brands reports after the closing bell, with major Wall Street banks due to kick off the quarterly earnings season in earnest next week.

8.00 EDT: Wall Street preview

Dow Jones futures rose 359 points to 51,917, S&P 500 futures gained 37.25 points to 7,863.50 and Nasdaq 100 futures added 200.25 points to 31,518 on Tuesday after the Nasdaq Composite’s record close.

Sentiment benefited from enthusiasm for artificial intelligence, easing bond-market selling and lower oil prices. Softer September jobs growth also reduced bets on an October Federal Reserve rate rise.

In premarket trading, Zscaler gained 2.2% after reaffirming its fiscal 2027 forecasts. Nike fell more than 1% after Berenberg downgraded it to sell from hold.

Vaxcyte slipped 3.7% after announcing $1 billion in stock, warrant and convertible note offerings.

Constellation Energy climbed 3% following its Amazon deal and reports of a potential Google agreement. Freshworks rose 3.9% ahead of joining the S&P SmallCap 600 on 8 October.

In London, the FTSE 100 stood at 10,534.79, up 36.85 points on the day but 10.98 points lower since the last update.

12.10 pm BST: London stocks ease but stay higher on the day

The FTSE 100 lost 44.89 points and the FTSE 250 shed 65.78 points since the last update on Tuesday, although both remained higher on the day.

Informa led the gainers, rising 3.74% to 894p, while BAE Systems was the biggest loser, down 3.16% at 1,872.84p.

Kpler data cited by the Wall Street Journal put Hormuz crude flows at 76% of pre-war levels, with refined fuel recovery potentially stretching into 2027.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Islamabad for talks including Pakistan’s mediation between Iran and the US.

11.00 am BST: London stocks build on gains

The FTSE 100 added 5.37 points, and the FTSE 250 gained 20.12 points since the last update.

A tech-led Wall Street rally towards record highs outweighed concerns over the Iran war and Gulf energy supply.

Jefferies expects the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank to skip October rate rises, with their next increases likely in December.

Jefferies remains long equities with a technology bias, citing strong earnings, capital expenditure and liquidity, although it cautioned that market breadth is narrow.

10.15 am BST: Construction activity remains in decline

The FTSE 100 held an 86-point gain, up 0.8% at 10,584, after UK construction activity contracted at its slowest rate since January.

The construction purchasing managers’ index rose to an eight-month high of 46.1 in September from 44.3 in August, although it remained below the 50 level separating expansion from contraction.

Informa gained 3.8% following its £2.24 billion Clarion Events acquisition, while Marks & Spencer, Weir, AstraZeneca and Burberry advanced more than 2%.

Defence shares moved against the market, with BAE Systems down 2.8%, Babcock losing 1.8% and Rolls-Royce falling 1.2%.

The FTSE 250 gained 0.6%, led by Clarkson at 7.1%, while AIM rose 0.2% as Mercantile Ports & Logistics jumped 25% and Synectics (AIM:SNX) added 10%.

9.00 am BST: Informa, RELX and Experian drive gains

Information services groups led the FTSE 100 higher as the index gained 94 points, or 0.9%, to 10,592.

Informa topped the blue-chip risers with a 3.3% advance after announcing the £2.24 billion acquisition of Clarion Events, a £940 million equity raise and plans to separate its Taylor & Francis publishing division.

RELX gained 2.7% and credit data group Experian rose 2.6%, strengthening the sector-led advance.

The FTSE 250 added 0.7% to 24,292, with Clarkson jumping 6.8% after upgrading its full-year underlying profit forecast to at least £135 million as elevated freight rates boosted its broking division.

The AIM All-Share gained 0.3%, while Mercantile Ports & Logistics surged 44% after final oral submissions concluded in the insolvency hearing involving its Karanja Port subsidiary.

8.15 am BST: FTSE 100 opens firmly higher

The FTSE 100 gained 59 points, or 0.6%, to 10,557 after opening at 10,553 and trading between 10,545 and 10,557.

AstraZeneca led the index with a 2.1% advance after completing its US$2 billion investment in Summit Therapeutics, while consumer-facing shares Whitbread, Burberry and JD Sports gained 1.9%, 1.6% and 1.4% respectively.

The FTSE 250 rose 0.4% to 24,220, led by shipping services group Clarkson, which jumped 7.4%, while Bytes Technology and Princes Group added more than 4%.

Telecom Plus gained 3.9% after multiservice organic customer growth exceeded its annual target, while the Utility Warehouse owner maintained full-year profit guidance of £80 million to £90 million.

The AIM All-Share was broadly unchanged.

7.00 am BST: London set for positive start

The FTSE 100 is expected to open around 42 points, or 0.4%, higher after technology shares drove Wall Street towards fresh records.

The Nasdaq gained 1.1%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.7% and the Dow Jones advanced 0.2%.

Holiday-thinned Asian trading was mixed, with mainland Chinese markets closed for Golden Week.

Japan’s Nikkei finished 0.5% higher, and Australia’s ASX 200 gained 0.6%, while Hong Kong advanced 0.8% and South Korea’s Kospi fell 1% as technology shares weakened.

Brent crude edged higher to around US$100.70 a barrel, while gold slipped towards $4,120 an ounce and Bitcoin traded near $85,300.

UK construction PMI is due at 9.30 am and is expected to rise to 45 in September from 44.3, while remaining below the 50 level separating expansion from contraction.