Stocks To Watch – 10/25/2026
The information provided in this Weekly Stocks to Watch list is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be considered financial advice, investment recommendations, or a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. Trading and investing involve significant risk, and you should only trade with money you can afford to lose. Always conduct your own research or consult with a licensed financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Options trading involves substantial risk of loss. Percentage shown is the change to the High, the highest recorded price the contract reached since the time it was alerted and does not represent the active value of the alert at this time.
Weekly Market Brief
Last Week in Review:
The week ended in a risk-off tone, with the S&P 500 losing 0.5% and the Nasdaq shedding 0.7%, while the Dow gained 0.4%. The dominant theme was AI spending anxiety. Mega-cap earnings beats weren't enough to offset concerns about costs, and Meta became the clearest example, falling 9.4% despite record quarterly revenue. The Nasdaq's Thursday slide of 2.9% was the week's biggest single-day drop, and the VIX was on track to close above 20 for the first time since early June. Energy added a second layer of pressure as Iran tensions escalated, with Brent crude jumping 6.2% to $116.72 per barrel. That weighed on airlines and revived inflation worries. By Friday the selling had broadened, with the Dow posting the sharpest decline among the three major indexes after weeks of acting as a refuge from tech. Rotation was selective rather than wholesale: IBM surged 9.2% and cybersecurity names rallied while semiconductors lagged.
Week Ahead — What to Watch:
The Fed is the centerpiece. The FOMC meets October 27-28, with the decision due Wednesday at 2:00 PM ET and Chair Kevin Warsh's press conference following at 2:30 PM. The market priced roughly a 90% chance of a hold after September's hike, but markets firmly expect a hike on December 9, so the tone of the statement and press conference matters more than the decision itself. Earnings is the other major driver, with 36% of S&P 500 companies set to report. Boeing reports Tuesday, Alphabet and Microsoft on Wednesday, and Amazon, Intel and Eli Lilly on Thursday, with Exxon Mobil on Friday. Traders will be listening for capex guidance and evidence that AI spending is translating into growth, since that debate drove last week's selloff. On the data front, Thursday brings advance Q3 GDP plus September personal income, spending and PCE inflation, including the core reading, and Friday adds the employment cost index. Keep an eye on crude and the Iran headlines, since a further energy spike would complicate the inflation picture just as the Fed leans hawkish. The setup points to elevated volatility, with Wednesday's Fed decision and the Microsoft and Alphabet results landing within hours of each other, making midweek a potential inflection point for the AI trade.
