The US markets ended higher on Friday as oil prices eased and tech stocks rebounded. Investors shifted their focus to next week, with third-quarter earnings season set to start and inflation data expected, which could shed light on the Federal Reserve's next policy decision. On the economic front, preliminary data released by the University of Michigan showed consumer sentiment in the U.S. has deteriorated by more than expected in the month of October. The University of Michigan said its consumer sentiment index fell to 46.3 in early October 2026, its lowest level since May’s record low and well below market expectations of 47.6. On the sectoral front, gold stocks moved sharply higher along with the price of the precious metal, driving the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index up by 2.9 percent. Software and networking stocks also saw substantial strength, with the Dow Jones U.S. Software Index and the NYSE Arca Networking Index both surging by 2.7 percent.
Nasdaq rose by 172.83 points or 0.64 percent to 27,366.17, S&P 500 was up by 46.18 points or 0.59 percent to 7,811.54 and Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 423.31 points or 0.83 percent to 51,654.95.
