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Indexes up: Dow 0.6%, S&P 500 0.8%, Nasdaq 1%

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Philadelphia Semiconductor Index hits all-time high

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WeightWatchers jumps on Amazon partnership

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Boeing ( BA ) rises after FAA approves 737 MAX production hike

(Updates on market open)

By Pranav Kashyap and Twesha Dikshit

Oct 20 (Reuters) - Wall Street advanced on Monday as

investor concerns over the stability of regional banks eased,

turning focus to a wave of corporate earnings and a closely

watched inflation report.

Earnings season shifts into high gear this week, with Wall

Street heavyweights, including Tesla, Ford, GM

, Netflix ( NFLX ), Procter & Gamble ( PG ), Coca-Cola

, IBM ( IBM ) and Intel ( INTC ), set to report. Their

results will offer a fresh stress test for equities trading near

lofty valuations.

Upcoming U.S. regional bank results will also be monitored

to get a read of the sector's health, after renewed fears of

systemic credit stress triggered a flight to safety last week.

S&P 500 companies are expected to post a 9.3% year-on-year

growth in third-quarter earnings, according to LSEG IBES data.

But with expectations running high, investors will look for

strong beats to justify the market's recent rally.

"Renewed credit concerns and concerns over trade policy are

indicative of just how vulnerable the market conditions are,"

said Jordan Rizzuto, chief investment officer at GammaRoad

Capital Partners.

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested easing tariffs on

China if Beijing resumes key agricultural purchases such as

soybeans. He, however, blamed the latest breakdown in talks on

China's tightening control over rare earth exports.

Meanwhile, Trump vowed to keep "massive" duties on India

unless it halts Russian oil imports, and considered raising

levies on Colombia amid a feud over its role in illicit drug

trade.

At 09:51 a.m., the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose

254.07 points, or 0.55%, to 46,452.52. The S&P 500 gained

50.26 points, or 0.75%, to 6,713.77, while the Nasdaq Composite

advanced 234.19 points, or 1.03%, to 22,914.16.

AI-driven optimism continued to boost markets, with the

Philadelphia Semiconductor Index hitting an all-time

high. It was last up 1.8%.

Micron shares rose 3.2% and hit a record high after

Barclays raised its price target on the stock. ON Semiconductor

and KLA added 4.4% and 3.7%, respectively.

S&P Energy index gained 0.7%, while industrials

added almost 1%.

DELAYED CPI

A U.S. government shutdown, which began on October 1, has

halted key economic data releases, leaving investors without

crucial indicators. That places Friday's consumer price report,

a pivotal inflation gauge, firmly in the spotlight ahead of the

Federal Reserve's policy meeting on October 28-29.

While September's core inflation is expected to hold steady

at 3.1%, markets widely expect a quarter-point rate cut this

month, with another reduction likely in December.

"The reports that come out, not just this one, but also in

the coming months, still will not answer how trade policy over

the longer term is going to influence inflationary pressures,"

Rizzuto said.

Among other stocks, Applovin ( APP ) dropped 5.1% after

Fuzzy Panda disclosed a short position in the company.

Boeing ( BA ) rose 1.3% after the planemaker won approval

from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to raise 737 MAX

production to 42 planes per month.

WeightWatchers climbed 11.2% after the company

partnered with Amazon for weight-loss drug delivery.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 6.13-to-1 ratio

on the NYSE and by a 4.24-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

The S&P 500 posted 10 new 52-week highs and three new lows,

while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 43 new highs and 33 new

lows.