U.S. stock indexes finished the holiday-shortened week higher, boosted by dovish comments from some Fed officials and several weaker-than-expected economic reports that seemed to reinforce the idea that a December rate cut remains on track. Small-cap stocks outperformed their large-cap peers, as the Russell 2000 Index advanced 5.5%. The Nasdaq Composite also posted strong returns, rebounding from the prior week’s sell-off as concerns regarding elevated valuations and spending on AI appeared to take a back seat to optimism around the growth potential from the technology. In economic news, U.S. retail sales increased by 0.2% in September (below +0.4% estimates). September PPI rose 0.3% in September, in line with estimates.

Despite some good news during the week from both corporate earnings reports and government economic data, U.S. equity markets finished the week lower. The sell-off appeared to be driven by worries about lofty stock valuations and concerns around whether AI will generate enough profits to justify the massive spending that companies have poured into supporting the developing technology. The Nasdaq Composite had the largest losses, while the Russell 2000 held up better but still lost ground. The S&P 500 Index finished about 4.4% lower than the record high it achieved in late October. A rebound on Friday helped ease the losses that the major benchmarks suffered earlier in the week.

U.S. stocks ended the week mixed. The Dow and S&P 500 saw slight gains, while the Nasdaq, S&P MidCap 400, and Russell 2000 declined. Through most of the week, markets fell as investors rotated out of high-growth and AI-related stocks due to valuation concerns. A volatile Friday helped some indexes recover. The longest U.S. government shutdown ended Wednesday after President Trump signed a temporary funding bill. Although this removed a key market headwind, stocks still dropped Thursday as uncertainty remained about the return to normal operations. Economic data releases became a focal point, with the BLS delaying some reports but confirming the September jobs report will come out on November 20. Comments from multiple Fed officials signaled caution and a preference to keep policy restrictive due to lingering inflation risks.

Despite a modest rebound on Friday afternoon, all major US equity indices declined over the week. The Nasdaq underperformed and recorded its weakest weekly performance since the sharp post–Liberation Day decline in early April. The market pullback can be explained by a number of factors: growing unease surrounding artificial intelligence developments, signs of labor market softening, ongoing tariff hearings, a lack of meaningful economic data, rising concerns over private credit, and persistently hawkish commentary from Federal Reserve officials. The U.S. federal government shutdown reached the longest on record during the week, which also appeared to weigh on broader sentiment.

The Nasdaq Composite led gains, driven by strength in mega-cap tech firms benefiting from AI-related spending. Market gains were narrow — the S&P 500 rose even though most sectors fell, and the equal-weighted index lagged by 2.7%. About two-thirds of S&P 500 companies have reported earnings and 83% are beating expectations. Results from the “Magnificent Seven” were mixed: Microsoft, Apple, and Meta fell post-earnings, while Amazon and Alphabet rose. NVIDIA’s shares surged, briefly pushing its market value above $5 trillion. U.S. President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping agreed to a one-year trade truce, easing tensions between the two nations. The deal included U.S. tariff reductions, China suspending export controls on rare earths, and resuming purchases of U.S. agricultural goods. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.75%–4.00%, as expected, but signaled caution on further cuts.

Global equity markets advanced despite volatility from U.S.–China trade headlines and a spike in oil prices following sanctions on Russia’s top oil firms. In the US, Small- and mid-caps outperformed large caps, with technology and energy sectors leading gains while utilities and consumer staples lagged. The ongoing government shutdown delayed several economic reports, but September inflation data was released late. Headline inflation rose slightly to 3.0%, just below expectations, while core inflation held steady at 3.0%. S&P Global’s preliminary PMI readings showed business activity strengthening in October. U.S. Treasury yields fluctuated: short-term (1–3 year) yields rose, while the 10-year yield declined.

U.S. stocks rose for the week, recovering from the previous Friday’s steep sell-off, the S&P 500’s worst day since April. The rebound came amid easing U.S.-China trade tensions, dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials, and optimism from new deals in the artificial intelligence sector. The start of Q3 earnings season further boosted sentiment, as major banks like JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo all beat expectations. By Friday, 12% of S&P 500 companies had reported, with 86% exceeding earnings forecasts, according to FactSet. However, gains were partly reversed on Thursday after two regional banks revealed loan issues linked to alleged fraud, reigniting concerns about credit risks and the health of smaller lenders.

U.S. stocks fell for the week as renewed U.S.-China trade tensions and concerns over the prolonged government shutdown weighed on sentiment. Early gains, driven by enthusiasm for AI-related companies and a major AMD-OpenAI partnership that boosted AMD shares over 20%, were erased after President Trump threatened major new tariffs on Chinese goods. Gold surged past $4,000 per ounce, reflecting heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty. Investors are now focused on the upcoming Q3 earnings season, especially since the shutdown has halted major economic data releases. Analysts expect the S&P 500 to post its ninth straight quarter of earnings growth.

Stocks posted solid gains, shrugging off the U.S. government shutdown that began on Thursday. US equities appeared to draw support from the September private payrolls report from payroll processing firm ADP showing jobs lost. The labor market data seemingly made it more likely that the Fed will cut rates at its October meeting. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index outperformed, and growth stocks outpaced value. The Russell 2000 Index of small-cap stocks, which tend to benefit more from lower rates, easily outperformed the S&P 500 Index. In Europe, the STOXX Europe 600 Index ended 2.87% higher, reaching record levels. Japan’s stock markets registered mixed performance over the week, with the Nikkei 225 Index gaining 0.91% and the broader TOPIX Index down 1.82%.

Major U.S. stock indexes finished the week lower, driven in part by some hawkish commentary from Federal Reserve officials that seemed to dampen investor optimism around the pace of further interest rate cuts. The Nasdaq Composite fared worst, falling 0.65%, followed by the Russell 2000 Index, which registered its first weekly loss since early August. The S&P 500 Index also fell, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was little changed. Within the S&P 500, the energy sector rallied, advancing alongside oil prices in response to President Donald Trump’s call for European Union nations to end purchases of Russian oil and gas. Most other sectors declined. The closely watched core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose 2.9% yoy, in line with July and consensus expectations.