Gold in Uptrend and Companies Exceeding Expectations

U.S. Markets & Economic Policy

Wall Street US

US stocks rose on Monday, with financial and technology stocks accounting for much of the gain, as positive quarterly results restored risk appetite and investors became less fearful about the credit quality of regional banks.

Trump said his proposed 100% tariff on goods from China would be unsustainable, but blamed Beijing for the latest impasse in trade talks that began when Chinese authorities tightened controls on rare earth exports. Trump unveiled the new tariffs a week ago, along with new export controls on "all critical software," which will take effect on November 1.

Dow Jones and S&P500 at closing highs

The S&P 500 closed at a record high on Friday despite a volatile session, buoyed by expectations of interest rate cuts as the U.S. government entered its third day of government shutdown. The Dow also closed at a record high, while the Nasdaq fell. Technology stocks weakened, with Applied Materials falling 2.7% after the chip equipment maker forecast a $600 million revenue shortfall for fiscal year 2026.

Trump Hits Russian Oil Companies Amid India Tariff Dispute

The United States announced sanctions on major Russian oil companies on Wednesday, citing Russia's lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine. President Donald Trump introduced the sanctions amid growing frustration with Moscow over its failure to stop the conflict—a goal he remains determined to achieve. In a Truth Social post, Trump shared a statement from the U.S. Treasury Department titled "Treasury Imposes Sanctions on Major Russian Oil Companies, Urges Moscow to Immediately Agree to a Ceasefire".

Corporate Earnings & Performance

Sanofi Surprised Analysts

Sanofi (SNY) reported that its anti-inflammatory drug Dupixent reached nearly $5 billion in third-quarter sales, beating expectations and pushing the stock toward a potential breakthrough. This is the first time Dupixent sales have surpassed €4 billion, with revenue of approximately $4.88 billion, ahead of analysts' forecast of $4.64 billion. The drug, developed with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN), treats eczema and asthma.

Intel Rises

Intel (INTC) shares rose more than 3% on Friday after the chipmaker reported quarterly results and revenue that beat Wall Street expectations. CEO Lip-Bu Tan emphasized that "AI is accelerating demand for computing power and creating attractive opportunities across our portfolio," benefiting both the company's products and its closely watched manufacturing business.

Ford Exceeded Expectations

Ford reported quarterly results that beat expectations, though it warned of financial consequences from a fire at an aluminum plant that affected F-150 pickups and SUVs. Optimism about the plant's early reopening and the strength of Ford's underlying business helped the stock rise.

Procter & Gamble Beat Analysts' Consensus

Procter & Gamble exceeded Wall Street expectations in its fiscal first quarter and now expects a reduced impact from tariffs in fiscal 2026, with after-tax costs estimated at $400 million, down from $800 million. The positive outlook helped P&G shares rise about 1% in Friday morning trading.

General Dynamics Better Than Expected

General Dynamics (GD) beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter profit and revenue, driven by strong deliveries of business jets as affluent customers continued to spend on luxury air travel. Adjusted earnings came in at $3.88 per share, above the $3.70 estimate, as the airline segment benefited from improved certification timelines and supply chain recovery. CEO Phebe Novakovic highlighted particularly strong order activity for business jets, with new bookings during the quarter totaling 1.3 times billings, indicating robust demand.

Adobe Inc Raises Outlook

Adobe Inc. reported fiscal third-quarter results that beat analysts' estimates and raised its FY25 revenue and EPS forecasts, though the stock fell 0.73%. Net income rose to $1.77 billion ($4.18 per share) from $1.68 billion ($3.76 per share) a year ago. The company's AI-driven ARR exceeded $5 billion, and its Digital Media and Digital Experience segments saw double-digit growth, highlighting strong subscription results in Creative, Marketing, Business Professional, and Consumer Products.

Kering Gets Downgrade

Gucci owner Kering was downgraded by HDBC from "buy" to "hold" on Friday, citing the luxury group's rapid share price rise and a lack of short-term catalysts, which sent the stock down 3%. The brokerage noted that many strategic changes, including the sale of Kering 's beauty division to L'Oréal and the delayed acquisition of Valentino, have already been implemented, leaving few triggers for the next major update in mid-February 2026. Analysts said the company's accelerated transformation is already reflected in the stock's performance.

Petrobras Remains Profitable

Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) has held steady at $11.69 per share in 2025 as investors anticipate a major transformation at Brazil's state-backed energy giant. Despite political scrutiny and a volatile oil market, the company remains highly profitable, with a dividend yield of 11.44% and a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.25. Its strong fundamentals are highlighted by a 1,476% year-over-year jump in net income to $4.73 billion in Q2 2025, although governance concerns continue to weigh on the valuation.

Global Finance & Payments

Bank of England

The Bank of England is set to continue its slowest interest rate cut ever, with the Monetary Policy Committee expected to cut the Bank Rate by 25 basis points to 4.00% on Thursday, marking the fifth cut since August 1, 202445. Unlike US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who has faced public criticism from President Trump for his slow approach, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey and his colleagues are easing cautiously, making the current cycle one of the longest in British history, according to economists at Deutsche Bank .

EU Introduces New Rules to Improve the Speed and Security of Instant Euro Payments

New EU rules will transform the way euro payments are made in Europe. Transfers that previously took days will now be completed in seconds, available 24/7. Banks and other payment service providers will no longer be allowed to charge more for instant payments than for standard credit transfers, ensuring fair access to faster transactions. To enhance security, providers must verify that the recipient's name matches the IBAN, and this verification service must be offered free of charge51. Furthermore, the new rules open up direct participation in payment systems for payment and e-money institutions, enabling them to provide instant payment services more efficiently and at lower costs.

Wells Fargo Invests in South Dallas

Wells Fargo is deepening its presence in the community with a $6.8 million investment in South Dallas. Analysts remain optimistic about the bank's growth prospects following strong Q3 results and the lifting of regulatory asset caps, although concerns remain about its valuation.

Commodities & Retail Trends

Gold & iPhone Uptrend in UK

UK retail sales unexpectedly rose by 0.5% in September, boosting broader growth following a surge in tech sales—including Apple 's new models—and demand for gold from online jewelers. Notably, gold prices on commodity markets have risen to record highs in recent weeks.

Shop for gold in a street

Technology & Infrastructure Issues

Amazon AWS Outage Due to Network Load Issues

The Amazon AWS outage appears to stem from Amazon 's network load monitoring system, which the company recently updated to aid recovery. Amazon is also working on enabling customers to create new Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances, which were previously restricted, to address the broader outage. The AWS service disruption could cost billions of dollars. The outage has halted business operations and reduced the productivity of millions of workers, impacting industries from airlines to factories. The disruption has already resulted in delayed flights, blocked consumer transactions, and prevented employees from performing their jobs.