Before this data, nobody knew the stock market's total return. People had opinions, but without data almost everyone was just guessing. It turned out the market did better than people imagined. In fact, marketwide performance beat many famous stock pickers. The investment world had been doing it all wrong.
The markets are under pressure today after Big Tech stocks spooked investors with their hefty capex agendas for 2026. Google parent Alphabet ( Nasdaq: GOOGL) Google shocked the markets by basically doubling its capital expenditures roadmap to $185 billion in 2026 compared with expectations of $120 billion in a bid to drive growth. GOOGL stock, which is a member of the Nasdaq Composite, is currently down about 3% while its market cap is hovering at $3.9 trillion.
This past year, Visa Inc. ( NYSE: V) has unveiled a scam disruption initiative, adoption of its "Tap to Phone" technology has soared, it unveiled its vision for artificial intelligence (AI) in commerce, and it expanded its capabilities in the digital currency space. The company also has launched a pilot program enabling businesses and platforms to send payouts directly to stablecoin wallets. All this has helped buoy the stock despite economic uncertainty.
This article will be updated throughout the day, so check back often for more daily updates. October ended with a 2.3% gain for the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ( NYSEMKT: VOO). As the first trading day of November dawns, the ETF is up 0.3% premarket. What's driving the stock market's gains? Earnings season, for the most part. Roughly 60% of the 500 companies making up the S&P 500 have reported so far, and 80% of those "beat earnings."
Regardless of this year's stock market volatility, the explosive demand for semiconductors and microchips that has grabbed news headlines and led the market higher over the past few years remains. As the drive toward integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into our everyday lives progresses, a handful of mega-cap companies are capable of meeting that demand. While Nvidia Corp. ( NASDAQ: NVDA) may get the lion's share of attention, companies like Broadcom Inc. ( NASDAQ: AVGO) will also be playing a central role in supply.
Consumers are tightening their belts and eating out less frequently, but sit-down restaurants like Chili's and Cheesecake Factory are persevering because they're delivering more value for about the same price as fast food.
Earlier in the week, trade deals with Japan and Indonesia contributed to pushing the market to record highs, and the possibility of a deal with the European Union adds to optimism. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF reached an all-time high of 583.20, with a promising outlook for further gains. Key factors influencing the sustainability of this rally include both successful trade negotiations and the mixed results of earnings reports. Some companies, like Intel, reported losses despite exceeding revenue expectations, while others, like Deckers, had brighter earnings news, indicating a divided performance among major players.
We reported another quarter of strong results, generating net income of $15.0 billion or net income of $14.2 billion excluding a significant item. Each of the lines of business performed well.
President Trump is taking recent stock-market highs as a sign investors approve of his threats to slap tariffs on trading partners—and so far, the markets are proving him right.
Investors are willing to look through the risks of President Donald Trump's new batch of tariffs set to take effect on Aug. 1 because they just see them as negotiating tactics, experts say.
