S&P 500 6,712.40 ▲ 0.62%Nasdaq 22,780.51 ▲ 0.94%Dow 46,758.28 ▲ 0.11%Russell 2000 2,476.18 ▼ 0.38%VIX 16.42 ▼ 3.10%S&P 500 6,712.40 ▲ 0.62%Nasdaq 22,780.51 ▲ 0.94%Dow 46,758.28 ▲ 0.11%Russell 2000 2,476.18 ▼ 0.38%VIX 16.42 ▼ 3.10%
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US Equities · S&P 500 · Nasdaq · Small & Micro-Caps

Daily Update · Oct 12, 2026 · By AST Markets Desk (AI-assisted)

Open: Stocks mixed as Nasdaq proxy slips, Exxon advances

U.S. equities opened unevenly Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, with technology shares mixed and Exxon Mobil rising amid headlines on attacks in Saudi Arabia.

AAPL $231.40 ▲ 1.20%NVDA $188.90 ▲ 3.40%XOM $114.30 ▼ 1.60%IONQ $67.50 ▲ 8.90%AEHR $24.10 ▼ 3.20%

U.S. stocks traded mixed shortly after the 9:30 ET open. The S&P 500 proxy SPY edged up 0.01% to $778.62, while Nasdaq 100 tracker QQQ fell 0.42% to $748.12. Dow proxy DIA gained 0.18% to $517.02, and Russell 2000 tracker IWM slipped 0.13% to $278.57.

Exxon Mobil rose 1.97% to $172.26, among the stronger large-company shares in early trade. Apple gained 1.44% to $341.50 and Microsoft added 0.78% to $539.25, while Nvidia fell 0.92% to $227.16. JPMorgan Chase edged up 0.29% to $333.95.

Declines were steeper in some smaller technology names: mid-cap IonQ dropped 6.94% to $37.12, and small-cap Aehr Test Systems lost 4.87% to $80.52. Intuitive Machines slipped 1.21% to $13.03, while Plug Power eased 0.60% to $1.67. Among micro-caps, Duos Technologies fell 1.94% to $7.06 and ClearSign Technologies was unchanged at $3.21.

Middle East security developments dominated the supplied headlines. Reuters reported deadly Houthi strikes on a Riyadh airport, while CNBC reported that the FAA warned U.S. airlines of safety risks over Saudi Arabia. Reuters also reported that Iran would reply to the U.S. response on its Hormuz proposal after completing a review.

The next focus is whether Nasdaq weakness persists and whether Exxon's early advance holds as further Saudi Arabia and Hormuz headlines emerge. Overseas, Reuters reported that India's September inflation neared the central bank's tolerance ceiling, strengthening the case for further rate increases.