Stock Indexes Surge After Blockbuster Nvidia Results; Tech Shares Jump; US Added More September Jobs Than Expected

All 11 S&P 500 Sectors in the Green Today

20 minutes ago

With the S&P 500 surging about 1.7% Thursday morning, not a single sector was trading in the red.

All 11 sectors tracked by the benchmark index were in the green about an hour after the opening bell, led by Information Technology and Communication Services, which were up about 2.1% each.

Health Care shares were up the smallest amount at 0.1%.

What’s Driving Foreclosures Higher? Government-Backed Loans

36 minutes ago

Foreclosure activity is rising across the country, but not necessarily for everyone.

Recent data shows that rising delinquencies and foreclosures in government-backed Federal Housing Administration loans are driving the increase. Analysts said this indicates a growing disparity between wealthy and lower-income homebuyers.

Nearly 12% of FHA borrowers in September were past due on mortgage payments, compared with 3.5% of all mortgage holders, according to data released by mortgage data firm Intercontinental Exchange. Meanwhile, foreclosure starts rose by 23% in the third quarter of 2025 compared with the same period a year ago, the data showed. Still, that’s 18% below the pre-pandemic foreclosure starts rate in the third quarter of 2019.1

“You can very clearly see those delinquency rates trending higher. So [it’s] another indication of that K-shaped economy that we’re seeing play out in the broader U.S. economy,” said Andy Walden, head of mortgage and housing research at Intercontinental Exchange.

Read the full article here.

–Terry Lane

September’s Job Data Is Finally Out—Here’s What It Revealed

55 minutes ago

More people got hired in September than forecasters expected, and more were unemployed too, according to a highly anticipated and long-delayed report on the labor market.

The U.S. economy added 119,000 jobs in September, rebounding from a loss of 4,000 jobs in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday. That was more than double the 50,000 forecasters had expected, according to a survey of economists by Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. After taking into account job losses over the summer, the job creation has been flat since April. The unemployment rate rose to 4.4% from 4.3%, reaching a fresh high since October 2021.

Thursday’s report was the first major data on the job market published by government statistical agencies since September. It was originally supposed to be published Oct. 3, but was delayed by the government shutdown. Overall, it painted a mixed picture of the health of the labor market.

The number of jobs added was the most since May, but was below the monthly average of 147,000 in the 12 months through April. In addition, the previous two months of job growth were downwardly revised by 33,000.

The labor force participation rate rose to 62.4% from 62,3% in August, reaching its highest since May but remaining well below typical pre-pandemic levels.

Most of the job gains came from health care, leisure, and retail sectors. Federal government employment fell by 3,000. Manufacturing lost 6,000 jobs, the fifth decline in as many months. The manufacturing sector has lost jobs every month since President Donald Trump announced sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs intended to give U.S. factories an edge over foreign competition.

–Diccon Hyatt

Is the Shrinking Trade Deficit About to Give GDP a Lift?

1 hr 10 min ago

The U.S. trade deficit fell sharply in August as newly released information showed imports are declining in the wake of President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging tariff policies. 

The trade deficit fell by nearly 24% in August, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis data. The delayed report showed the difference between imports and exports narrowed by $18.6 billion to a total of $59.6 billion.

The Trump administration introduced a series of new tariffs that month, and imports declined by more than 5% from the July reading, while exports increased slightly.

The August trade data, which had been delayed due to the government shutdown, follows a July reading that showed the trade deficit increased on higher imports ahead of the August tariff deadline.

Read the full article here.

–Terry Lane

Bath & Body Works Stock Plummets on Weak Results, Cut Outlook

2 hr 2 min ago

Bath & Body Works (BBWI) is doing something about its weak third-quarter results. It doesn’t appear like it’s going to help the stock Thursday.

Shares of the retailer plummeted 17% before the bell after the company reported results that came up short of analysts’ estimates and cut its full-year outlook.

Bath & Body Works posted Q3 adjusted earnings of $0.35 per share on sales that decreased 1% year-over-year to $1.59 billion. Analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha expected $0.40 and $1.64 billion, respectively.

In addition, the company now sees 2025 sales declining by low single digits, down from growth of 1.5% to 2.7%. Full-year adjusted EPS is now expected to be at least $2.87, down from a range of $3.35 to $3.60.

“Our third-quarter results were below expectations, and we are lowering our outlook for the remainder of the year reflecting current business trends and continuation of recent macro consumer pressures,” CEO Daniel Heaf said.

In response, the company initiated a “Consumer First Formula,” which Heaf said “focuses our investments in our four largest revenue driving opportunities—creating disruptive and innovative product, reigniting our brand, winning in the marketplace, and operating with speed and efficiency.”

Bath & Body Works shares entered the day down 45% this year.

Walmart Switching Stock Listing to Nasdaq from NYSE

3 hr 25 min ago

Walmart (WMT) is changing where it lists shares.

In addition to issuing its third-quarter results early Thursday, the world’s largest retailer unexpectedly announced that it will transfer its stock listing as well as the listing of nine bonds to the tech-heavy Nasdaq from the New York Stock Exchange on Dec. 9, 2025.

Walmart, which intends to keep its ticker symbol “WMT,” said that the move “underscores the strong alignment between Walmart and Nasdaq’s shared values: a technology-forward approach, delivering exceptional client value, and redefining their respective industries through innovation.”

“Moving to Nasdaq aligns with the people-led, tech-powered approach to our long-term strategy,” Walmart CFO John David Rainey said. “Walmart is setting a new standard for omnichannel retail by integrating automation and AI to build smarter, faster, and more connected experiences for customers, while enabling our associates to deliver even greater value at scale.”

Walmart shares slipped about 2% before the bell even though its quarterly results topped analysts’ estimates and it lifted its fiscal 2026 outlook. They entered the day up 11% this year.

Stock Futures Rise Sharply After Blockbuster Nvidia Results

4 hr 9 min ago

Futures contracts tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%.

S&P 500 futures advanced 1.1%.

Nasdaq 100 futures were up 1.5%.