London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Wall Street up 4th Week in Row on Record Highs as Investors ‘Accept’ High Inflation

Wall Street up 4th Week in Row on Record Highs as Investors ‘Accept’ High Inflation

US stocks hit record highs on Friday before rounding out a fourth straight week of gains, powered by mostly strong corporate earnings for the third quarter and investors’ acceptance that high inflation was likely to be a way of life in the United States.

All three of Wall Street’s major equity indexes - the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite Index - hit all-time highs in their last session for October, capping out a perfect month for stock bulls who saw cumulative gains of between 5% and 7% over the past four weeks from each of the three indices.

Friday’s rally capped a quarter of blockbuster profits for most US corporations in the banking to healthcare, auto, technology and the entertainment sectors.

Still, not all companies had stellar earnings, with online commerce behemoth Amazon and consumer tech giant Apple notably missing analysts’ forecasts for the quarter.

US consumer sentiment also remains at risk from soaring inflation although Americans seem resigned to higher costs from economic upheavals caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the University of Michigan said in the latest iteration of its closely-watched consumer survey on Friday.

The survey showed that the US Federal Reserve’s annual inflation gauge hitting a 30-year high in September, keeping the pressure up on the central bank’s policy makers as well as the White House in reigning in surging costs.

“Despite all the mounting inflationary fears, the growth outlook for next year is still robust and that will keep investors betting on US growth exceptionalism,” Ed Moya, analyst at online trading platform OANDA, said.

The Dow, a blue-chip index which groups mostly industrial stocks, closed up 89 points, 0.3%, at 35,820. It hit a record high of 35,893 earlier in the session. For October, the Dow rose 5.8%.

The S&P 500, which consists of the top 500 US stocks, settled up 9 points, 0.2%, at 4,605. It hit an all-time high of 4,609 earlier. For the month, the S&P was up 6.9%.

Nasdaq, which groups Big Tech names such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google, closed the day up 50 points, or 0.3%, at 15,498, after hitting a record high at 15,504. For October, the tech-heavy index gained 7.3%.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The Great Western Exit: Why Best Citizens Are Fleeing the Rich World [PODCAST]
The New Robber Barons of Intelligence: Are AI Bosses More Powerful Than Rockefeller?
The End of the Old Order [Podcast]
Britain’s Democracy Is Now a Costume
The AI Gold Rush Is Coming for America’s Last Open Spaces [Podcast]
The Pentagon’s AI Squeeze: Eight Tech Giants Get In, Anthropic Gets Shut Out [Podcast]
The War Map: Professor Jiang’s Dark Theory of Iran, Trump, China, Russia, Israel, and the Coming Global Shock [Podcast]
Labour Is No Longer a National Party [Podcast]
AI Isn’t Stealing Your Job. It’s Dismantling It Piece by Piece.
Lawyers vs Engineers: Why China Builds While America Litigates [Podcast]
Churchill’s Glass: The Drunk, the Doctor, and the Myth Britain Refuses to Sober Up From
Apple issues an unusual warning: this is how your iPhone can be hacked without you doing anything
Kennedy’s Quiet War on Antidepressants Sparks Alarm Across America’s Medical Establishment
The Met Gala Meets the Age of Billionaire Backlash
Russian Oligarch’s Superyacht Crosses Hormuz via Iran-Controlled Route
Gunfire Disrupts White House Correspondents’ Dinner as Trump Is Evacuated
A Leak, a King, and a Fracturing Alliance
Inside the Gates Foundation Turmoil: Layoffs, Scrutiny, and the Cost of Reputational Risk
UK Biobank Breach Exposes Health Data of 500,000, Listed for Sale on Chinese Platform
KPMG Cuts Around 10% of US Audit Partners After Failed Exit Push
French Police Probe Suspected Weather-Data Tampering After Unusual Polymarket Bets on Paris Temperatures
CATL Unveils Revolutionary EV Battery Tech: 1000 km Range and 7-Minute Charging Ahead of Beijing Auto Show
Crypto Scammers Capitalize on Maritime Chaos Near the Strait of Hormuz: A Rising Threat to Shipping Companies
Changi Airport: How Singapore Engineered the World’s Most Efficient Travel Experience
Power Dynamics: Apple’s Leadership Shakeup, Geopolitical Risks in the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe's Energy Strategy Amidst Global Challenges
Apple's Leadership Transition: Can New CEO John Ternus Navigate AI Challenges and Geopolitical Pressures?
Italy’s €100K Tax Gambit: Europe’s Soft Power Tax Haven
News Roundup
Microsoft lost 2.5 millions users (French government) to Linux
Privacy Problems in Microsoft Windows OS
News roundup
Péter András Magyar and the Strategic Reset of Hungary
Hungary After the Landslide — A Strategic Reset in Europe
Meghan Markle Plans Exclusive Women-Focused Retreat During Australia Visit
Starmer and Trump Hold Strategic Talks on Securing Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Unofficial Australia Visit by Prince Harry and Meghan Expected to Stir Tensions with Royal Circles
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
UK Stocks Rise on Ceasefire Momentum and Renewed Focus on Diplomacy
UK to Hold Further Strategic Talks on Strait of Hormuz Security
Starmer Voices Frustration as Global Tensions Drive Up UK Energy Costs
UK Students Voice Concern Over Proposal for Automatic Military Draft Registration
Rising Volatility Drives Uncertainty in UK Fuel and Petrol Prices
UK Moves to Deploy ‘Skyhammer’ Anti-Drone System to Strengthen Airspace Defense
New Analysis Explores UK Budget Mechanics in ‘Behind the Blue’ Feature
Man Arrested After Four Die in Channel Crossing Tragedy
UK Tightens Immigration Framework with New Sponsor Rules and Fee Increases
UK Foreign Secretary Highlights Impact of Intensified Strikes in Lebanon
UK Urges Inclusion of Lebanon in US-Iran Ceasefire Framework
UK Stocks Ease as Ceasefire Doubts in Middle East Weigh on Investor Confidence
UK Reassesses Cloud Strategy Amid Criticism Over Limited Support Measures
×