Markets Mixed as Fed Looms, While AI Bets Lift Stocks and Chipmakers

WHO:

Al Jazeera - Dan Coatsworth said, “A rally in a host of AI-related stocks including neocloud group CoreWeave, data storage specialist Western Digital and IT solutions provider Super Micro Computing implies that investors aren’t over the AI craze just yet.”

Al Jazeera - Coatsworth said AI-related stocks “typically fall when investors are worried that the AI story might be running out of steam, and they rise when animal spirits are running high around the technological revolution.”

Al Jazeera - Coatsworth said, “The big unknown is whether this is the start of a new AI stock rally, or just a relief bounce after a period where investors were starting to question how long positive momentum could be sustained.”

Al Jazeera - Nvidia announced a $3 billion investment in Meta’s equity offering.

Yahoo Finance - Microsoft offered buyouts to as many as 60,000 employees as it seeks to streamline operations amid its AI build-out.

Yahoo Finance - Ford, GE Vernova, T-Mobile US, eBay, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and ServiceNow were also due to report earnings.

CNBC - Investors awaited a Federal Reserve rate decision and earnings reports from Alphabet and Microsoft, identified as “Magnificent Seven” companies.

CNBC - Broadcom, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Micron Technology, Anthropic, and Claude were named in a chip-financing deal.

CNBC - Fed Chair Kevin Warsh was expected by some investors to signal that further rate increases could be coming.

CNBC - Mike Wilson, Morgan Stanley’s chief U.S. equity strategist, said, “Most of the correction is already over.”

Al Jazeera - Five “Magnificent Seven” stocks rose, led by Tesla; Nvidia, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, and Alphabet were also discussed.

Al Jazeera - Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell in London, said AI-related shares were a “litmus test for the mood of the market.”

Al Jazeera - SK Hynix reported third-quarter results; Anthropic filed paperwork for an initial public offering.

WHAT:

Yahoo Finance - The S&P 500 rose 0.1% and Nasdaq-100 futures gained 0.4%.

Al Jazeera - Microsoft was scheduled to report results after the bell, followed by Amazon on Thursday and Apple on Monday.

Yahoo Finance - The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 each rose roughly 0.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite was approximately flat.

CNBC - Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was flat, while mainland China’s CSI 300 closed up 0.85%.

Yahoo Finance - S&P 500 futures rose 0.1% and Nasdaq-100 futures gained 0.4%.

Yahoo Finance - SK Hynix said profits grew 632% year over year; Micron and Samsung shares also rose.

Al Jazeera - Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis were involved in hostilities amid the Middle East conflict.

CNBC - U.S. futures were mixed: S&P 500 futures edged higher, Nasdaq-100 futures rose 0.5%, and Dow futures fell 0.2%.

CNBC - The Fed was widely expected to hold its target interest-rate range at 3.75%–4%; CME’s FedWatch tool showed about a 92% probability of no change. The decision was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET.

CNBC - Broadcom rose 4%, AMD 5.5%, and Micron 2.8%. Broadcom said a group of banks would provide $63 billion to finance a purchase of its chips and networking solutions for lease to Anthropic.

CNBC - The Nasdaq Composite rose 1.2% in Tuesday trading; all three major U.S. indexes finished higher.

Al Jazeera - The Nasdaq Composite gained 1.18%, the S&P 500 rose 0.6%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.03%.

Al Jazeera - Tesla gained 4.04%; Amazon rose 1.61%, Apple 0.93%, Alphabet 0.9%, and Nvidia almost 1%. Meta fell 1.64% and Microsoft 0.24%. CoreWeave rose 7.94%, Western Digital 6.95%, and AMD 5.45%.

Al Jazeera - SK Hynix’s operating profit increased about 630% year over year to 83.33 trillion won ($62.4 billion); its South Korea-listed shares rose 10.89%.

Al Jazeera - Anthropic reported a first-half 2026 net loss of $80.7 billion on revenue of $16.3 billion.

Al Jazeera - Gartner forecast global AI investment of $2.7 trillion in 2026 and $3.6 trillion in 2027.

WHERE:

CNBC - The coverage described trading in the United States and Asian markets.

Al Jazeera - Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.08%; South Korea’s KOSPI rose 6.63%; Taiwan’s TAIEX climbed 2.04%; Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.33% shortly before closing.

WHEN:

CNBC - The Fed’s interest-rate decision was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET.

WHY:

CNBC - Mike Wilson said the market had been in “correction mode for four or five months” and had “digested this very efficiently.”

Al Jazeera - Technology companies have each invested hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure, prompting debate over whether a speculative bubble similar to the one before the 2000 dot-com crash could be forming.

Yahoo Finance - U.S. stocks had posted back-to-back gains in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq during the week.

CNBC - Oil prices fell after Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei met with security official Mohsen Rezaei to discuss conditions for ending the war with the United States.

CNBC - Chip stocks rose after Broadcom announced the financing arrangement; lower oil prices also supported U.S. stocks.

Al Jazeera - Investors were assessing whether major technology companies’ large AI investments would produce returns and whether AI shares could sustain their momentum.

HOW:

Yahoo Finance - The Fed was expected to hold rates steady despite elevated inflation readings; Kevin Warsh’s press conference was being watched for signs of a hawkish bias.

CNBC - The Fed’s policy decision followed a two-day meeting; policymakers had raised rates by a quarter percentage point at their September meeting.

Al Jazeera - Brent crude futures topped $116 a barrel, more than 60% above their level before the U.S.-Israel war on Iran began; oil rose nearly 2% amid Middle East hostilities.

(UPDATED October 29, 2026 08:04 UTC)

U.S. stocks ended higher, with the Nasdaq up 1.18%, the S&P 500 gaining 0.6% and the Dow adding 0.03%, as AI-related shares rallied and investors weighed whether the sector’s momentum can last. Broadcom, AMD and Micron climbed after Broadcom disclosed a $63 billion financing deal to supply chips and networking equipment for lease to Anthropic, while Nvidia announced a $3 billion investment in Meta’s equity offering. Investors were also watching for the Federal Reserve’s rate decision and earnings from major technology companies, as SK Hynix reported a sharp jump in profit and Microsoft offered buyouts to as many as 60,000 employees amid its AI expansion.

(UPDATED October 28, 2026 23:59 UTC)

U.S. stocks finished higher, led by a 1.2% rise in the Nasdaq, as investors returned to AI-related shares and weighed whether the sector’s rally can last. Chip stocks climbed after Broadcom arranged $63 billion in financing for chips and networking equipment for Anthropic, while Nvidia announced a $3 billion investment in Meta’s equity offering and Microsoft offered buyouts to as many as 60,000 employees amid its AI expansion. Investors were also focused on the Federal Reserve’s expected rate decision and major technology earnings, while SK Hynix reported a sharp jump in profits and oil prices remained elevated amid Middle East hostilities.

(UPDATED October 28, 2026 17:11 UTC)

U.S. stocks edged higher, with the Dow and S&P 500 each up about 0.2% and the Nasdaq nearly flat, as investors weighed whether renewed enthusiasm for AI shares can last. Chipmakers rallied after Broadcom announced $63 billion in bank financing for chips and networking equipment to be leased to Anthropic, while Nvidia said it would invest $3 billion in Meta’s equity offering. Investors also awaited the Federal Reserve’s rate decision and major technology earnings, as questions persisted about whether huge AI investments will deliver returns and whether the market’s rally has further to run.

(UPDATED October 28, 2026 16:03 UTC)

The Dow and S&P 500 each rose about 0.2%, while the Nasdaq was nearly flat, as investors weighed major technology companies’ AI spending and awaited the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision. Nvidia announced a $3 billion investment in Meta’s equity offering, while Broadcom shares climbed after a $63 billion financing deal to supply chips and networking equipment for Anthropic; Microsoft also offered buyouts to as many as 60,000 employees. In Asia, South Korea’s KOSPI jumped 6.63% and SK Hynix reported a roughly 630% surge in operating profit, while oil prices topped $116 a barrel amid continuing Middle East hostilities.

(UPDATED October 28, 2026 13:06 UTC)

U.S. stock futures edged higher, with the Nasdaq-100 up 0.4%, as investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s rate decision and earnings from Alphabet and Microsoft. Chip stocks advanced after Broadcom said banks would provide $63 billion to finance chips and networking equipment for lease to Anthropic, while SK Hynix reported a 632% year-over-year profit increase and Nvidia announced a $3 billion investment in Meta’s equity offering. The Fed was widely expected to hold interest rates steady, as investors weighed whether major technology companies’ heavy AI spending can generate returns amid continued hostilities in the Middle East.

(UPDATED October 28, 2026 10:01 UTC)

U.S. futures were mixed as investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s rate decision, widely expected to leave rates unchanged, and earnings from Alphabet and Microsoft, while some investors looked for Chair Kevin Warsh to hint at possible future increases. Chip stocks climbed after Broadcom announced a $63 billion bank-financed deal to supply chips and networking equipment to Anthropic, and Asian markets also advanced, led by South Korea’s KOSPI; SK Hynix reported a sharp rise in operating profit. Investors were weighing whether huge AI investments can deliver returns as oil prices rose amid Middle East hostilities, while Anthropic disclosed a first-half 2026 net loss of $80.7 billion on revenue of $16.3 billion.