"Earnings Week Looms: Stock Futures Slip, Wall Street on Alert"

U.S. stock futures slipped as the third-quarter earnings season gained momentum. Johnson & Johnson and Bank of America reported better-than-expected earnings, boosting market sentiment. Wall Street also awaited fresh economic data, including retail sales and industrial production numbers. Geopolitical tensions, such as the Israel-Hamas war, have raised concerns, but market negativity has been offset by positive corporate earnings. UBS predicts that the earnings recession is over and the US economy is on track for a soft landing. Singapore's exports fell for the 12th straight month, while Country Garden faces a potential default if it fails to make a coupon payment. New Zealand's consumer inflation hit a two-year low, and Nelson Peltz's hedge fund Trian Fund Management has taken a stake in Allstate. Gold has held up well despite rising interest rates and a strong US dollar.