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- calendar_today October 26, 2026
US Stocks Rebound Strongly Ahead of Key Economic Reports
US stocks rallied on Monday, erasing last week’s losses and moving closer to record highs. The S&P 500 rose 0.6%, pulling within 2% of its all-time high set earlier in October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 356 points, or 0.7%. The Nasdaq Composite also advanced by 0.6% as of 10:30 a.m. Eastern time.
Energy Prices Support Market Gains
A significant driver behind the market’s performance was a drop in energy prices. Brent crude oil fell 1.5% to $110.00 per barrel. While prices remain at the higher end of their range since the onset of the war with Iran, the easing in oil has provided relief for companies with high fuel costs. The most actively traded Brent crude contract has peaked near $120 per barrel since March.
Airline and Travel Stocks Lead Advances
Lower fuel costs boosted airline stocks. Royal Caribbean Group’s shares rose 2.5%, United Airlines climbed 4.1%, and Delta Air Lines advanced 2.9%. Airline stocks also benefited from speculation regarding the impact of JetBlue Airways’ sharp decline, as its shares dropped 14.5% toward a record low.
Artificial Intelligence and Tech Industry Remain Volatile
Despite the broader market’s gains, stocks in the artificial intelligence sector remained volatile. Nvidia, a major player in AI chips, saw its stock rise 1.9%, helping it recover from a three-week losing streak. Meta Platforms fell 1.1% after announcing plans to raise $35 billion through a stock sale to support AI investments and a potential additional $60 billion by issuing a new class of non-voting shares. Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Broadcom have indicated interest in purchasing up to $5 billion of Meta’s stock.
Other notable moves included SpaceX, which dipped 0.1% following a $40 billion AI computing power lease deal with an entity managed by Apollo Global Management. CoreWeave, a company centering on AI computing power rentals, fluctuated significantly but was up 1.4% after an early drop.
Investors Anticipate Big Tech Company Earnings
This week, investors are focused on profit reports from major technology companies. Alphabet and Microsoft are set to release their quarterly results on Wednesday, followed by Amazon and Intel on Thursday. Strong earnings growth is expected, a key factor behind recent stock market records despite ongoing concerns about inflation and high interest rates.
In telecommunications, Verizon Communications’ stock fell 2.3% after reporting stronger-than-expected profits but lower revenues than analysts had forecast.
Bonds and Interest Rates in Focus as Fed Meeting Approaches
In the bond market, US Treasury yields eased. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.96% from 5.00% at the end of last week and from more than 5.30% earlier in the month. The two-year Treasury yield remained steady at 4.69%. Market participants broadly expect the Federal Reserve to maintain current interest rates after its upcoming meeting, following last month’s hike.
The Federal Reserve previously raised the federal funds rate for the first time in three years in an attempt to slow persistent inflation.
Global Stock Markets Mixed Ahead of Central Bank Decisions
Internationally, European stock indexes rose, while Asia saw mixed results. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 1.5%, while France's CAC 40 gained 1.1%. Both the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan are set to meet on monetary policy this week, adding to the global market’s anticipation.
Source: clickorlando.com.
