This Week on Wall Street

U.S. markets are closed for the weekend; the latest session, Friday, October 23, closed broadly lower to cap a volatile week. The Dow Jones tumbled 652.82 points (1.23%) to 52,215.16, the S&P 500 slipped 0.52% to 7,623.68, and the Nasdaq Composite eased 0.21% to 25,955.34, with nearly three of every four S&P 500 stocks in the red. Energy surged 2.55% as oil jumped on fresh Middle East supply fears, while Consumer Staples dropped 1.92% and Communication Services fell 1.40% to lead decliners. The VIX rose to 19.45 and the 10-Year Treasury yield held near 4.99% — still down for a third straight week — as WTI crude climbed to roughly $104.50 and gold eased to $4,007.90 on the firmer-yield backdrop. Sentiment remains cautious — the Fear & Greed Index sits at 20, deep in Extreme Fear — after September's hotter-than-expected 3.7% CPI print. The week ahead is packed: the Fed's October 28 rate decision (a hold is widely expected), earnings from Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon, and Thursday's first look at Q3 GDP and the Fed's preferred PCE inflation gauge.