U.S. stocks finished higher on Friday as a pullback in oil prices and a rebound in technology shares helped Wall Street recover from Thursday’s AI-driven slide. All four major indexes closed in positive territory, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 both posted gains for the week. Investors are now looking toward next week’s inflation report and the start of third-quarter earnings season.
What Moved Markets
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 423.46 points, or 0.83%, to close at 51,655.10. The S&P 500 gained 46.18 points, or 0.59%, to finish at 7,811.54. The Nasdaq Composite added 172.83 points, or 0.64%, to end at 27,366.17. The small-cap Russell 2000 also advanced, rising about 0.5%. For the week, the Dow was up roughly 1.15% and the S&P 500 about 0.95%, while the Nasdaq managed a modest 0.19% gain.
Oil prices eased early in the session after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would not attack Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, calming some of the geopolitical worries that had pushed crude higher. Technology shares also bounced after Thursday’s sell-off, which was triggered by a report that OpenAI’s annualized revenue was roughly $20 billion lower than previously estimated. Real estate and healthcare were the strongest S&P 500 sectors, rising 1.85% and 1.48%, while communication services fell 1.62%.
A weaker consumer mood was a reminder of the pressure on households. The University of Michigan’s preliminary October consumer sentiment reading fell to 46.3 from 48.1 in September, below the 47.6 economists expected. Treasury yields also edged higher, with the 10-year yield around 5.25%.
Notable Movers
Humana (HUM) jumped more than 12% in morning trading after federal regulators restored a 4-star Medicare Advantage rating to its flagship contract, covering more than 2 million members. The higher rating can support bonus payments and profit margins.
Telecom stocks were hit hard after SpaceX (SPCX) agreed to buy a nationwide block of wireless spectrum from Grain Management in a deal valued at around $8 billion. Investors worry the move could signal a future mobile service offering. T-Mobile (TMUS), Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T) each fell by roughly 10% or more at midday. Crown Castle (CCI) rose about 11% on the news.
Delta Air Lines (DAL) came under pressure after missing earnings estimates for the first time in two years and cutting its 2026 profit outlook to $5.10 to $5.60 per share, citing high fuel costs. Apple (AAPL) slipped on a report that it asked suppliers to cut October iPhone 18 Pro component orders by 15% to 20%, and chip supplier Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) fell more than 6% on the same report.
Looking Ahead
The U.S. stock market will be open on Monday, October 12, although the bond market will be closed for the Columbus Day holiday. The key event of the week is Wednesday’s consumer price index report, which will help show whether the Federal Reserve can pause after its September rate hike. Major banks begin reporting third-quarter results on Tuesday, giving investors an early look at how consumers and businesses are handling higher borrowing costs. Oil prices, developments in the Middle East, and the recovery of Hurricane Isaias-affected Gulf Coast energy output will also remain in focus.