Market Week: October 12, 2026

The Markets (as of market close October 9, 2026)

A strong Friday finish helped U.S. equities close last week on a positive note. Despite the end-of-week rally, stocks experienced significant volatility as investors swayed between optimism over potentially strong corporate earnings versus concerns over elevated Treasury yields and sticky inflation. Nevertheless, benchmark indexes posted notable gains, with the NASDAQ notching its fourth consecutive weekly gain, while the S&P 500 ended a seven-week losing streak. Last week's performance suggested that the rally extended beyond tech and AI stocks, which had carried the market for the past few weeks. This development was further evidenced by the performance of the market indexes, where gains were noted in all sectors except information technology and industrials. Treasury yields were also volatile last week, reaching their highest levels since 2002, only to fall at the end of the week. Crude oil prices dipped marginally last Friday after President Trump pledged not to attack Iran until after the midterm elections.

• STOCK MARKET INDEXES
• LAST WEEK'S ECONOMIC NEWS
• EYE ON THE WEEK AHEAD

Wendy Nelson, CEO of Wind River Wealth Advisors, aims to provide comprehensive investment management, retirement planning, financial planning, asset management, and portfolio management services to protect your money with knowledgeable strategies and plans, guided by a personal, independent financial advisor.