The S&P 500 closed at 7,757.85, up 0.59% on the day, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished at 52,856.09, up 0.69%, and the Nasdaq Composite led the major averages with a 1.05% gain to 26,702.86. The Russell 2000 added a more modest 0.16% to 2,781.02. The 10-year Treasury yield rose 0.57% to 5.147%, while the VIX, a measure of expected market volatility, fell 3.64% to 16.68.
| Index | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | 7,757.85 | +0.59% |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | 52,856.09 | +0.69% |
| Nasdaq Composite | 26,702.86 | +1.05% |
| Russell 2000 | 2,781.02 | +0.16% |
| VIX (volatility index) | 16.68 | -3.64% |
| 10-year Treasury yield | 5.147% | +0.57% |
Source: Index levels at the close · as of October 21, 2026 at 4:36 PM ET · The 10-year Treasury yield is shown as a yield; its change is the percentage change in that yield.
The biggest S&P 500 moves
Skydance Corporation led S&P 500 gainers, up 10.85%, after Axios reported that Versant's CEO said the company was not likely to buy Skydance's cable networks. Supermicro jumped 9.49% after the company dramatically raised its fiscal first-quarter revenue projections, which Investor's Business Daily and Business Insider both tied to strong AI server demand. Charles River Laboratories rose 9.33% and also touched a 52-week high. Bloom Energy gained 7.13%, which CNBC said came as traders positioned ahead of the company's Thursday third-quarter report.
AT&T fell 6.45%, its steepest S&P 500 decline, even after beating earnings and revenue estimates and raising full-year guidance; Barron's said concerns about competition from Starlink overshadowed the results, while Investor's Business Daily noted that wireless subscriber growth only met expectations. Netflix dropped 5.31% and touched a 52-week low. Dexcom fell 6.39%, Chipotle Mexican Grill declined 5.26% and also hit a 52-week low, and Expedia Group slid 5.03%; no source in our facts explained these three moves.
| Stock | Company | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| SKYD | Skydance Corporation | $7.87 | +10.85% |
| SMCI | Supermicro | $35.55 | +9.49% |
| CRL | Charles River Laboratories | $344.87 | +9.33% |
| ECHO | EchoStar Corporation | $92.64 | +7.23% |
| BE | Bloom Energy Corporation | $238.53 | +7.13% |
Source: Closing prices against the prior close, S&P 500 members · as of October 21, 2026 at 4:36 PM ET
Sectors
Seven of the eleven S&P 500 sectors finished higher. Technology led by a wide margin, up 1.66%, followed by industrials, up 0.91%, and financials, up 0.57%. Communication services lagged, down 1.09%, with real estate and consumer staples also among the day's decliners.
| Sector | Change |
|---|---|
| Technology | +1.66% |
| Industrials | +0.91% |
| Financials | +0.57% |
| Utilities | +0.29% |
| Energy | +0.26% |
| Materials | +0.16% |
| Consumer discretionary | +0.03% |
| Health care | -0.49% |
| Consumer staples | -0.73% |
| Real estate | -0.74% |
| Communication services | -1.09% |
Source: Sector index funds, change on the day · as of October 21, 2026 at 4:36 PM ET
New highs and lows
Twenty-five S&P 500 stocks touched a 52-week high on Wednesday, including Charles River Laboratories, Hasbro and Waters Corporation. Two stocks touched a 52-week low: Netflix and Chipotle Mexican Grill.
| Stock | Company | Touched | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRL | Charles River Laboratories | 52-week high | $344.87 | +9.33% |
| HAS | Hasbro | 52-week high | $114.00 | +4.09% |
| WAT | Waters Corporation | 52-week high | $457.47 | +3.31% |
| A | Agilent Technologies | 52-week high | $177.76 | +2.75% |
| MTD | Mettler Toledo | 52-week high | $1,677.94 | +2.69% |
| FDS | FactSet | 52-week high | $319.91 | +2.45% |
| ZBRA | Zebra Technologies | 52-week high | $391.00 | +1.80% |
| MRNA | Moderna | 52-week high | $245.81 | +1.54% |
| NFLX | Netflix | 52-week low | $65.04 | -5.31% |
| CMG | Chipotle Mexican Grill | 52-week low | $28.09 | -5.26% |
Source: Session range against the 52-week range, S&P 500 members · as of October 21, 2026 at 4:36 PM ET · 25 at a high and 2 at a low in all; the largest moves are listed.
On the calendar
Wednesday's releases showed the MBA 30-year mortgage rate at 7.41%, down from 7.5% the prior week, while weekly data from the Energy Information Administration showed gasoline stocks fell 2.95 million barrels, more than the 0.4 million barrel decline expected, and crude oil stocks fell 3.06 million barrels, also exceeding the forecast decline of 0.8 million barrels.
Thursday brings weekly jobless claims data, including initial claims, continuing claims and the four-week average, all due at 8:30 AM ET. Before Thursday's open, Allegion, Blackstone, CBRE Group, Comcast, Quest Diagnostics, Dover Corporation, Dow Inc., Huntington Bancshares, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Nasdaq Inc., Norfolk Southern Railway, NVR, PG&E Corporation and Procter & Gamble are all scheduled to report earnings.
| Time (ET) | Release | Actual | Consensus | Prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | MBA 30-Year Mortgage Rate (Oct/16) | 7.41% | — | 7.5% |
| 10:30 AM | EIA Gasoline Stocks Change (Oct/16) | -2.95M | -0.4M | 3.52M |
| 10:30 AM | EIA Crude Oil Stocks Change (Oct/16) | -3.06M | -0.8M | -8.56M |
Source: Economic calendar, US releases of high and medium impact
| When | What | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM ET | Initial Jobless Claims (Oct/17) | 200K |
| 8:30 AM ET | Continuing Jobless Claims (Oct/10) | 1,720K |
| 8:30 AM ET | Jobless Claims 4-Week Average (Oct/17) | 200K |
| Before the open | ALLE (Allegion) earnings | $2.50 |
| After the close | BE (Bloom Energy Corporation) earnings | $0.69 |
| Before the open | BX (Blackstone Inc.) earnings | $1.26 |
| Before the open | CBRE (CBRE Group) earnings | $1.97 |
| Before the open | CMCSA (Comcast) earnings | $0.99 |
| After the close | DECK (Deckers Brands) earnings | $1.80 |
| Before the open | DGX (Quest Diagnostics) earnings | $2.87 |
| Before the open | DOV (Dover Corporation) earnings | $2.85 |
| Before the open | DOW (Dow Inc.) earnings | $0.64 |
| After the close | FIX (Comfort Systems USA, Inc.) earnings | $12.85 |
| Before the open | HBAN (Huntington Bancshares) earnings | $0.35 |
| Before the open | HON (Honeywell) earnings | $2.17 |
| Before the open | LMT (Lockheed Martin) earnings | $7.52 |
| Before the open | NDAQ (Nasdaq, Inc.) earnings | $1.02 |
| After the close | NEM (Newmont) earnings | $1.96 |
| Before the open | NSC (Norfolk Southern Railway) earnings | $3.46 |
| Before the open | NVR (NVR, Inc.) earnings | $102.77 |
| After the close | OMC (Omnicom Group) earnings | $2.67 |
| Before the open | PCG (PG&E Corporation) earnings | $0.42 |
| Before the open | PG (Procter & Gamble) earnings | $1.88 |
Source: Economic and company earnings calendars · 28 S&P 500 companies report in all.