Insights

The major stock market indexes continued to climb last week, with the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ reaching new record highs. Investors were buoyed by a strong start to the third-quarter earnings season, particularly for major banks, with most companies reporting better-than-expected earnings and profits.

Last week saw another period of volatility in the stock market, largely driven by U.S.-China trade tensions, the ongoing government shutdown, and concerns over the health of the banking sector. Despite market swings throughout the week, stocks ultimately pushed higher by week’s end, with each of the benchmark indexes listed here posting gains.

Wall Street was marked by volatility throughout last week. Major indexes, particularly the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ, reached new record highs earlier in the week, driven by an advance in AI stocks and favorable corporate earnings reports.

Investor optimism over AI companies and expectations of interest rate cuts helped propel stocks last week.