U.S. stock futures pointed to a firmer open Thursday, attempting to claw back losses from a bruising post-FOMC session, as investors digested the Federal Reserve's latest rate hike and braced for fresh reads on the job and housing market as well as the manufacturing sector. Dow futures gained 0.71%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.82% and 1.08%, respectively.
The Fed on Wednesday raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.75%-4% while signaling another rate increase later this year, with median projections by FOMC members reflecting one or two additional hikes expected for this year, aligned with upward revisions to projections on inflation and GDP growth. The hawkish tilt sent yields higher and equities lower, with the S&P 500 falling 0.45% and the Dow shedding 631 points, while the Nasdaq Composite closed nearly flat.
Rates remain the central story into the New York open. Stocks slipped after the 10-year Treasury note yield climbed above 5.04% earlier this week, the highest level since 2007, keeping pressure on rate-sensitive sectors. Oil prices are still elevated on Middle East supply concerns, while the dollar has firmed on the back of the Fed's guidance.
Premarket Snapshot — Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026
| Instrument | Level | Change |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 futures | 7,685.25 | +0.82% |
| Dow futures | 52,283.00 | +0.71% |
| Nasdaq 100 futures | 29,573.25 | +1.08% |
| US 10-Year Yield | 4.984% | down slightly |
| WTI Crude (Oct) | $100.94/bbl | -1.45% |
| Brent Crude | $103.80/bbl | -1.92% |
| Gold futures | $4,349.20/oz | -0.87% |
| DXY (Dollar Index) | 100.15 | -0.10% |
| VIX | 15.99 | -9.66% |
| Bitcoin | $76.295.69 | -0.48% |
MarketFramework's Positioning Edge tool shows a bullish divergence for NQ futures. Profitable traders are 59.4% long/40.6% short, compared with 53.2% long/46.8% short among unprofitable traders. In other words, profitable traders are roughly 6.2 percentage points more long, suggesting that traders currently making money are positioned aggressively than those on losing trades.
US Stocks in Focus
Generac Holdings (GNRC) surged up more than 34% in premarket after announcing a long-term deal to supply power generators for Amazon data centers.
Homebuilders remain in focus ahead of the housing data, with Lennar (LEN) under pressure after reporting a third-quarter miss and slashing its guidance, stung by higher rates that is impacting affordability of buyers.
With the FOMC meeting now in the rear-view and rate worries abating, hyperscalers and semiconductor stocks showed strength in premarket trading.
Macro Data Preview
August housing starts and building permits report is due at 8:30 a.m. ET. The report follows July's softness, when privately-owned housing starts in July came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,239,000, 12.4% below the revised June estimate of 1,415,000 and 13.5% below the July 2025 rate, while building permits rose 5% month-over-month to 1.443 million, above market expectations of 1.37 million. A weak print could reinforce concerns about the drag from higher mortgage rates on the housing cycle.
The routinely scheduled weekly jobless claims report and the results of the Philadelphia Fed's regional manufacturing survey are also due at 8:30 a.m. ET.
At 10 a.m., the National Association of Realtors will release its August pending home sales index, followed by four- and eight-week Treasury auction at 11:30 a.m. ET and 10-year TIPS auction at 1 p.m. ET.
Asian Markets
Asian equities finished mixed on Thursday, with Japan outperforming on a softer yen. The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.33% to close at 64,136, while the broader Topix Index advanced 0.8% to 4,094, extending gains from the previous session.
The yen weakened against the dollar following the Fed's decision, improving the earnings outlook for Japan's export-focused industries, and Japanese equities also benefited from declining oil prices amid expectations that crude flows through Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline could resume soon.
In Hong Kong, sentiment was more cautious. The market remained cautious after the Fed rate hike, with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority raising its base rate by 25 basis points to 4.25% following the Fed's move, weighing on Hong Kong property stocks.
European Markets Early Trend
European bourses opened firmer and advanced through early afternoon trading, with Frankfurt leading the region. The FTSE 100 was seen advancing moderately even as UK investors are sitting on their hands with the Bank of England expected to hold at 3.75%.
Technical Levels to Watch
For the S&P 500, chart watchers are focused on a narrow band of support just below current levels.
In rates, the 5%–5.25% region is now crucial on the 10-year Treasury yield, with a break above 5.25% potentially bringing 6.8% into view as the next major technical level.
