Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 20, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
Stocks fell on Wednesday as new trade developments out of Washington exacerbated concerns among investors about U.S.-China relations. Disappointing corporate earnings from companies including Texas Instruments and Netflix also weighed on the major averages.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded lower by 406 points, or 0.9%. The S&P 500 fell 1.1%, while the Nasdaq Composite shed 1.8%.
Stocks took a leg down Wednesday after Reuters, citing a U.S. official and three people briefed by U.S. authorities, reported that the White House is weighing curbs on exports to China made with U.S. software. The sources said the plan is not the only option being considered and might not proceed.
The developments come after President Donald Trump almost two weeks ago said that the U.S. would implement export restrictions by Nov. 1 on “any and all critical software.”
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Dow Jones Industrial Average, 1-day
Earlier in the day, equities were already under pressure, hurt by Texas Instruments dropping 6% after the semiconductor company’s latest earnings came in weaker than expected. The company’s fourth-quarter earnings forecast was soft as well.
Texas Instruments also plagued the broader semiconductor sector more broadly. On Semiconductor, Advanced Micro Devices and Micron Technology each declined 4%, and the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) pulled back 3%.
Netflix shares also weighed on the market. The stock slumped 10% after the streamer posted an earnings miss and cited a dispute with Brazilian tax authorities as a reason for the shortcoming.
On the flip side, Intuitive Surgical was a bright spot during Wednesday’s session, with shares rallying 13% on the back of its strong earnings and revenue results.
Investors are now looking ahead to some upcoming earnings reports that could offer a boost to equities. For instance, Tesla’s earnings expected Wednesday after the bell will kick off highly-awaited reports from the “Magnificent Seven” megacap tech group.
As it stands, more than three-quarters of the S&P 500 companies that have posted results so far have beaten expectations, according to FactSet.
“Perhaps amid reports that US corporate earnings outcomes for Q3 have been much better than expected, there may remain some worries about guidance from management as the US corporate earnings season expands to encompass more stocks and more sectors,” Thierry Wizman, global FX and rates strategist at Macquarie Group, said in a note.
“The few high-profile reports were issued overnight (e.g., Netflix, Texas Instruments) have been downbeat in tone,” he continued.
The Dow is coming off a record-setting session, briefly topping 47,000 on Tuesday, thanks to strong results from Coca-Cola and 3M. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq lagged, however, after Trump commented about his expected meeting next week with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He noted that “maybe it won’t happen.”