US stock futures are rising - Tesla's shares got more expensive after the Roadster presentation

US stock index futures rose on Friday as concerns about the sustainability of investments in the artificial intelligence sector partially eased. Nevertheless, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were on track to end the week lower. Investors continue to assess the outlook for AI infrastructure spending and the potential impact of index changes.

As of 05:21 ET, S&P 500 futures were up 15 points, or 0.2%, while Dow Jones futures gained 183 points, or 0.4%. Nasdaq 100 futures were nearly unchanged. For the week, the S&P 500 was down roughly 1% and the Nasdaq Composite had fallen more than 2%, while the Dow Jones was showing a gain of about 1%.

Tesla — new Roadster demonstration

Tesla shares rose nearly 5% in premarket trading after the company unveiled its long-awaited electric vehicle, the Roadster, on Thursday evening.

The event took place at SpaceX's test facility in Texas. During the demonstration, the car performed a controlled jump using compressed air, corrected its orientation mid-air, and landed on all four wheels.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Roadster production should begin in 2028. The presentation once again drew investor attention to the model, whose release has been anticipated for a long time.

Strategy — possible exclusion from MSCI indices

Strategy shares fell 3% in premarket trading after MSCI announced new rules that could result in the company's exclusion from its indices. The changes concern the criteria for including non-operating companies in indices and are set to take effect at the November index review.

Under the new methodology, MSCI will evaluate companies based on operating assets and five financial ratios. This approach will replace the temporary restrictions that applied to companies with at least 50% of their assets held in digital assets.

The issue is particularly significant for Strategy, as cryptocurrency accounts for a substantial share of the company's assets. A possible exclusion from the indices could affect funds and investors that track the relevant indices.

Netflix — new head for content division

Netflix shares fell 2% in premarket trading after the company announced a change in leadership of its content division.

Effective October 26, Peter Rice will be appointed the company's Chief Content Officer, having previously served as Chairman of Walt Disney Television. He will succeed Bela Bajaria, who is leaving Netflix after nearly a decade.

At Disney, Rice oversaw content operations for ABC, FX, Hulu, and National Geographic, and was involved in managing more than 300 shows per year. At Netflix, he will oversee series, films, and live events for various regions.

CoreWeave — AI infrastructure funding risks

Shares of AI cloud computing provider CoreWeave fell 3.8% in premarket trading, to $67.10. Investor attention remains focused on the company's debt levels and the costs of expanding AI infrastructure.

The roughly $50 billion debt load has heightened questions about whether future AI-related revenue will be able to justify the massive investments made in data centers and computing capacity. Similar concerns were also reflected in the shares of other AI companies.

Cohen & Steers — capital inflows drive share gains

Shares of investment management company Cohen & Steers rose 5.8% after the release of third-quarter results. The company reported $1.6 billion in net capital inflows, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of organic growth. This is also the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2021.

Adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.89, slightly below analysts' expectations of $0.92. Meanwhile, revenue rose 11% year-over-year to $157.4 million.

Alcoa — earnings beat forecasts

Shares of aluminum producer Alcoa rose 2.5% after the company reported adjusted earnings above expectations.

Earnings per share came in at $1.82, compared with analysts' expectations of around $1.54. Revenue totaled $3.7 billion — slightly below forecasts, though up 24% year-over-year.

Free cash flow rose to $472 million, while adjusted EBITDA reached $789 million. The company attributed the improved results to gains in production efficiency and operating performance.

Site Centers — special dividend sharply boosts shares

Shares of real estate investment trust Site Centers rose 18.3% after the company announced a special dividend of $3 per share and the sale of its stake in the Dividend Trust Portfolio joint venture.

The company generated approximately $32.4 million in net proceeds from the stake sale. The special cash dividend is scheduled to be paid on November 5, 2026, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on October 27.