Traders works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 16, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

By Pranav Kashyap and Twesha Dikshit

(Reuters) -Wall Street was poised for a firm start on Monday as investors prepared for a wave of earnings from corporate majors and a long-awaited inflation report, which could shake up markets later in the week.

Earnings season shifts into high gear this week, with Wall Street heavyweights, including Tesla, Ford, GM, Netflix, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, IBM and Intel, set to report. Their results will offer a fresh stress test for equities trading near lofty valuations.

U.S. regional banks will also be in focus this week, with upcoming earnings providing a pulse-check on the sector's health. Markets are still reeling from last week's volatility, triggered by renewed fears of systemic credit stress in the banking sector. However, upbeat earnings from some regional banks helped calm nerves.

S&P 500 companies are expected to post a 9.3% year-on-year growth in third-quarter earnings, according to LSEG IBES data. But with expectations running high, investors will look for strong beats to justify the market's recent rally.

"Renewed credit concerns and concerns over trade policy are indicative of just how vulnerable the market conditions are," said Jordan Rizzuto, chief investment officer at GammaRoad Capital Partners.

U.S. President Donald Trump stoked uncertainty by suggesting he might ease tariffs if Beijing resumes key agricultural purchases such as soybeans. But he blamed the latest breakdown in talks on China's tightening control over rare earth exports, casting doubt on any near-term thaw.

Meanwhile, Trump vowed to keep "massive" duties on India unless it halts Russian oil imports. He would also raise levies on Colombia amid a feud over the country's role in the illicit drug trade.

At 08:20 a.m., Dow E-minis were up 89 points, or 0.19%, S&P 500 E-minis were up 20 points, or 0.29%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were up 97 points, or 0.4%.

DELAYED CPI

A U.S. government shutdown, which began on October 1, has halted key economic data releases, leaving investors without crucial indicators and navigating markets with limited visibility. But attention now turns to Friday's consumer price report — a pivotal inflation gauge that could set the tone ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting on October 28-29.

But the continued freeze on employment data amid the shutdown means policymakers will enter the meeting without a comprehensive view of the economy's health.

While September's core inflation is expected to hold steady at 3.1%, markets are betting on a quarter-point rate cut this month, with another reduction likely in December.

"The reports that come out, not just this one, but also in the coming months, still will not answer how trade policy over the longer term is going to influence inflationary pressures," Rizzuto said.

In premarket trading, Boeing shares rose 1.3% after the planemaker won approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to raise 737 MAX production to 42 planes per month.

WeightWatchers climbed 7.8% after the company partnered with Amazon for weight-loss drug delivery.

(Reporting by Pranav Kashyap and Twesha Dikshit in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)