Stock futures nudge higher as Wall Street awaits U.S. midterm elections

Stock futures were slightly higher Tuesday following a winning day for markets as investors looked ahead to U.S. midterm elections.

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 52 points, or 0.16%. S&P 500 futures were up 0.18%. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.47%.

Shares of Lyft fell nearly 20% premarket while Take-Two Interactive and Tripadvisor slumped more than 18% each after reporting disappointing quarterly results.

The moves come after a day when all major indexes notched a second straight positive session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed higher by 423.78 points, or 1.31%. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 gained 0.96%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.85%.

Investors are awaiting Tuesday’s midterm election results. They will determine which party controls Congress and steer future policy and spending.

Any market reaction will likely hinge on whether Republicans take back the House of Representatives, the Senate or both.

“The idea that [Republicans are] going to take back the house is pretty much baked into the market,” said Lori Calvasina, RBC Capital Markets on CNBC’s “Fast Money” on Monday. “I’m not saying it won’t be a good thing, that we won’t have a few days of feeling good or that it won’t provide some stability, but I think for a big kicker in the S&P they need to take back the Senate as well.”

Wall Street will also closely watch Thursday’s consumer price index report for the latest data on how much the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes have tamed high inflation. This reading could also signal the central bank’s path forward – another hotter-than-anticipated report could embolden the Fed to raise rates aggressively in December.

Earnings season continues this week. On Tuesday, Lordstown Motors, Lucid Group, Walt Disney and AMC Entertainment all report their latest quarterly results.