Wall Street rose on Wednesday with tech stocks leading: the Nasdaq 100 gained 1.13%, semiconductors added 1.97%, the S&P 500 rose 0.59% and the Dow Jones 0.69%. Results from SpaceX and Super Micro Computer revived interest in AI. Brent traded near US$109 a barrel and uncertainty over Fed rates persists. Investors await Meta and Tesla earnings.
Saudi Arabia's crude exports rose 7.9% in August 2026 from the previous month to 4.451 million barrels per day, their highest level since March, according to JODI data published on October 21. The increase came even as production fell from 8.135 to 6.24 million barrels per day and transport routes remained affected by regional tensions, with the Strait of Hormuz blocked by Iran. The country relied on its export facilities on both coasts.
Argentine stocks in Wall Street closed mostly higher, led by Telecom Argentina (+4.6%), Globant (+4.4%) and Grupo Financiero Galicia (+3.8%). The MSCI Merval gained 1.6% to 99,531 points. Dollar bonds ended mixed and country risk rebounded 0.3%, holding above 670 points. INDEC reported activity rose 0.1% month-on-month seasonally adjusted in August and fell 1.7% year-on-year.
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV), which groups the S&P 500 health care companies, is up 17.6% in 2026 versus 13.7% for the broader index. The equal-weighted RSPH gains 24.3%. Pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie and Merck are driving the rally, while medical device makers fall. XLV trades at about 19.3 times expected earnings.
UK inflation rose to its highest level in nearly a year, driven by fuel prices amid the war with Iran, according to official figures from the Office for National Statistics. Consumer prices rose 3.5% in the 12 months to September, up from 3.1% in August, above the 3.4% expected by economists and above the Bank of England's 2% target. Vehicle fuels jumped 30% year on year. Economists expect a rate hike on November 5.
According to Bloomberg figures published on October 20, 2026, Austria's Mark Mateschitz, 34, tops the ranking of billionaires under 40 with US$29.9 billion, stemming from the 49% stake he inherited from his father, Red Bull's co-founder. He is followed by Greg Brockman, OpenAI co-founder and president, with US$25.5 billion, and Czech Michal Strnad with US$18.9 billion. The list combines inherited fortunes with wealth generated by technology, digital payments and artificial intelligence.
SpaceX posted its first quarterly profit of $4.4 billion, fueling optimism in the tech sector, while Supermicro raised its revenue guidance by $4 billion on demand for AI servers. The S&P 500 rose 0.29% to 7,808 points and the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.56% to 30,062. Crude oil fell below $97 after reports of progress in peace talks, and Bitcoin recovered toward $84,500.
Natural gas prices for the November contract fall 6% to around 2.81 USD/MMBtu, the lowest level in three weeks, after a weekly selloff of 14.4%. The main pressure comes from weather: above-normal temperatures are forecast in the United States and there is concern about a milder winter. After the switch to the December contract, prices will open near 3.2 USD/MMBtu. Inventories remain 1.3% above the five-year average.
November natural gas prices fall 6% to around 2.81 USD/MMBtu, the lowest level in three weeks, after a 14.4% weekly selloff. The main pressure comes from weather: above-normal temperatures are forecast in the United States and a possible "Super El Niño". After the rollover to the December contract, prices will open near 3.2 USD/MMBtu. Inventories remain 1.3% above the five-year average and funds hold a record net short position.
Chile, which supplies a quarter of the world's mined copper, recorded in August its lowest monthly output in 15 years, according to AFP. Depletion of the richest ore zones forces miners to process more rock, and expansion and modernization projects suffered delays and cost overruns, especially at Codelco. Heavy rains linked to El Niño and the partial halt at El Teniente after a July 2025 accident added to the decline. The lower supply pressures the market, and the metal has risen more than 16% this year.
According to VetaCap's SME Financing Index, in September the weighted average rate for SMEs that financed through the Argentine Securities Market was 26.84% nominal annual, 0.75 points higher than in August and the third consecutive monthly increase. Traded volume reached ARS 656 billion, 7% more than the previous month, and the average term extended to 74.3 days. The guaranteed segment accounted for 54.3% of volume, with a rate of 25.73%.
The Mexican peso is falling sharply against the dollar and leads losses in a basket of 21 emerging market currencies tracked by Bloomberg, ahead of the Colombian, Philippine and Chilean pesos. The currency trades at MXN$18.65 per dollar, a daily drop of 1.2% and its lowest level since November of last year. Monex attributes the move to global caution and limited progress in the USMCA review, with stalled talks that could delay an agreement.
Carrefour warned that riots in France will hit its profits and its shares were down 13.6% on the Paris stock exchange around 10:30 a.m. (08:30 GMT). CEO Alexandre Bompard said about 50 Carrefour stores were looted over the weekend and that the year's operating result will be reduced by between 80 and 200 million euros. The unrest could account for up to 60% of fourth-quarter operating profit, according to Jefferies analysts.
Carrefour, France's largest listed retail group, saw its shares fall sharply on Wednesday after warning that recent riots in the country would hit its profits, according to Swiss outlet SWI swissinfo.ch.
The yield on the French 10-year bond touched 5.002%, a level not seen since 2002, and then fell back below it. The spread over the German bond stood at around 157 basis points, close to 2011 levels. French public debt reached 119% of GDP at the end of the second quarter of 2026, about 3.6 trillion euros, amid a pending budget in a divided Parliament and a presidential election in 2027.
Grupo Mas expects to raise its revenue by 21% this fiscal year, to 900 million euros, after acquiring Malaga-based Maskom, which has 51 supermarkets. Its CEO, Jerónimo Martín, reaffirmed at the 41st Aecoc Gran Consumo Congress the goal of reaching 1 billion euros in 2028. The family-owned company, which operates under the Mas and Mas&Go banners only in Andalusia and Extremadura, has 250 stores and 6,000 employees, and considers it possible to open another 250 stores.
The yield on the French 10-year bond touched 5.002% on Wednesday, a level not seen since 2002, and then fell back below it. The spread over the German bond stood at around 157 basis points, close to the levels of the 2011 debt tensions. French public debt reached 119% of GDP at the end of the second quarter of 2026, about 3.6 trillion euros, amid a pending budget in a divided Parliament and ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Netflix shares fell on Tuesday after its quarterly results failed to ease investor concerns, despite revenue growth. In the third quarter, revenue rose 11.8% year on year to $12.87 billion, in line with analyst expectations, and net profit jumped 44% to $3.66 billion. The company acknowledged investor concern about the growth of its viewing hours. The stock was down about 5% in electronic trading after the Wall Street close.
Netflix shares fell on Tuesday after the release of its quarterly results failed to dispel investor concerns, despite revenue growth, according to SWI swissinfo.ch.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) published the final implementing rule for the GENIUS Act. Stablecoin issuers must obtain permitted issuer status before January 18, 2027; those that fail to comply or cannot guarantee 100% backing will not be able to issue or circulate in the U.S. market. Reserves must be backed by real bank liquidity or short-term U.S. Treasury bonds, and in the event of bankruptcy, compensation to token holders will be prioritized.
