Wall Street closes higher: S&P 500 up 0.70% at 7677.33, Nasdaq 100 up 1.09%

U.S. stocks ended Monday's session higher, with the S&P 500 closing at 7677.33, up 0.70%. The Nasdaq 100 rose 1.09% to 29273.4 at the 4:00 p.m. New York close on October 26, 2026.

What happened

The S&P 500 rose 53.65 points from its previous close of 7623.68. The index stood at 7677.33 at 3:59 p.m. New York time, one minute before the end of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

The Nasdaq 100 advanced more in percentage terms. It added 315.88 points to finish at 29273.4, against a previous close of 28957.53.

Regular trading ran from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. New York time. A group of companies published quarterly results after the close, and those releases are covered below.

Rates, the dollar and gold

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield was little changed. It stood at 4.987% as of 18:57 UTC, against a previous close of 4.989%. A basis point is one hundredth of a percentage point, and the yield moved by less than one of them, so the change is negligible.

The U.S. Dollar Index was also little changed. It stood at 101.8600 as of 20:44 UTC, against a previous close of 101.8100. The currency and the Treasury market therefore showed no clear new direction while equities rose.

Gold futures were higher. They stood at 4027 as of 20:35 UTC, up 19.1 points, or 0.48%, from a previous close of 4007.9. Gold rose on a day when stocks also advanced.

Earnings after the bell

Three companies reported results after the close on October 26. Each gave an earnings per share (EPS) figure and a revenue figure.

Cadence Design Systems reported EPS of 2.11 USD, against an estimate of 2.05 USD. Revenue was 1.63 billion USD, against an estimate of 1.61 billion USD. The company sells electronic design software, and its results came out after the Nasdaq 100 had closed 1.09% higher.

Cincinnati Financial reported EPS of 2.86 USD, against an estimate of 2.05 USD. Its revenue was 3.05 billion USD, against an estimate of 2.64 billion USD. The insurer's quarterly figures are the second set of results in the group.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities reported an EPS of -3.74 USD, against an estimate of -0.03 USD. Its revenue was 671.18 million USD, against an estimate of 646.26 million USD. The real estate investment trust thus reported a loss per share, while its revenue was above the 646.26 million USD estimate.

The three companies work in different fields. Cadence is in electronic design software, Cincinnati Financial is an insurer, and Alexandria Real Estate Equities is a real estate company. Each release shows how one part of the market performed in the quarter.

The AI trade in focus

The technology advance comes while the performance of artificial intelligence stocks is debated among investors. A report published on Monday said that an S&P 500 index without AI stocks is ahead of the traditional index this year. The report described the AI trade as fraying and discussed sectors and stocks that could do well if that continues.

That is the view of the report's author, and Monday's price action does not settle it. On the day, the Nasdaq 100 gained more than the S&P 500, 1.09% against 0.70%. One session says little about a full-year comparison between the two index constructions.

The debate matters for index watchers because the Nasdaq 100 carries a large weight of technology companies. When that index moves more than the broader S&P 500, as it did on Monday, the difference is often read as a sign of how technology shares fared.

Why it matters

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 are widely followed gauges of U.S. large-company equities. A 0.70% gain in the first and a 1.09% gain in the second show that both indexes rose, with the larger move in the technology-weighted index.

The 10-year Treasury yield is a benchmark for borrowing costs and for how investors discount future corporate earnings. Its level of 4.987%, almost unchanged from 4.989%, shows that the equity advance came without a visible move in long-term rates. The dollar index tells a similar story, with a 0.05% change that counts as little changed.

Gold's gain of 0.48% to 4027 adds a further data point. A haven-type asset rose on a day when equities also gained, so the day's moves did not point in a single direction across asset classes.

The after-hours reports matter for the companies involved and for their sectors. Their figures give a first look at results in those areas for the quarter, and they will shape how those shares are discussed in the next session.

What to watch next

The first item is how the shares of the three companies trade in the next regular session, after the results released today. The reported figures are set out above, and the next session will show how investors react to them.

The second is whether the Nasdaq 100 keeps its lead over the S&P 500 after Monday's 1.09% advance, given the ongoing debate about AI stocks. The third is the 10-year Treasury yield, which stood at 4.987% and has barely moved from its previous close of 4.989%.

The U.S. Dollar Index at 101.8600 and gold at 4027 are also levels to follow. The dollar moved 0.05% on Monday and gold 0.48%. Their next moves will show whether the quiet in currencies and the gain in gold persist.