Nasdaq 100 awaits the big numbers from Apple tonight

As noted earlier, the Nasdaq 100 opened markedly higher this afternoon. The index had closed yesterday at 14,664. It reopened today at 14,856 and has risen to as high as 14,886 so far. So, in that sense it has not actually gained much from that opening level. However, it was already nearly 200 points above the previous close on the opening. Now, later this evening the really big number the US markets are waiting for is the Q3 earnings report from Apple (AAPL). Apple is the biggest component within the Nasdaq 100, whereas it is ranked second in the S+P 500, behind Microsoft. Apple has a market cap of around $2.75 trillion and in that respect, it is the largest company in the world. That makes the release of their results a potential game changer for the US futures after the closing bell tonight. I will be on hand to report those numbers later when they come out. Apple is due to release their Q3 results at 8.30pm GMT. The Nasdaq 100 is just now trading at 14,882