
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


Michael Nagle / Bloomberg / Getty Images
Despite a brief pullback this week, the price of gold remains up 57% since the start of 2025.The year-long rally in the price of gold paused this week as some investors cashed in and trimmed their exposure to the precious metal. Nevertheless, analysts say the structural demand that has underpinned gold's surge remains in place.
Gold fell 6% Tuesday, suffering its biggest one-day drop in 12 years and its largest one-day dollar decline ever. It was the first steep decline after months of record highs for the precious metal.
Analysts, though, don't see this as the end of the bull run that gold and other precious metals have enjoyed this year as more central banks store their reserves in gold and more investors turn to it as a hedge for economic uncertainty. Even after this week's slide, gold remains up 57% this year, easily surpassing the 15% gain of the benchmark S&P 500 stock index.
The factors that have driven the price of gold to one record high after another remain in place. From concerns about the U.S. government shutdown and trade disputes between the U.S. and China to fears about government debt sustainability and increased stock market volatility, various factors have caused investors to turn to gold as a safe-haven investment.
J.P. Morgan, in a research note, said gold could dip to technical support territory of $3,944-$4,000 per troy ounce. It reached almost $4,400 Monday before dipping as low as $4,030 Wednesday and rebounding to around $4,160 Thursday afternoon.
Essentially, the firm characterized gold's pullback this week as investors simply taking a breather after this year's rally intensified in the past several weeks.
"After a period of heavy inflows and extended momentum, a reversal and digestion is healthy for gold and doesn't change our multi-year structural bullish view on gold going forward," J.P. Morgan said, noting it expects central banks and consumers to be "reliable" buyers on price dips. "From our perspective, once we get through this consolidation, we reset to eventually push higher again amid an unexhausted longer-term trend of official reserve and investor diversification into gold."
Sticky BuyingIn another research note, Goldman Sachs said that the easing of a recent short squeeze in silver supplies in London has led to silver's decline in the past week and likely spilled over into the gold market. That squeeze had pushed the price of silver early last week to its highest level since 1980. (Silver was up about 1% on Thursday but has declined about 9% over the past week.)
Regardless, Goldman said it maintains its $4,900 end-of-year price target for gold, adding that it sees upside risk for that target because it expects "sticky, structural buying will continue further."
Such buying would continue benefitting gold miners, whose share prices have soared this year. The Van Eck Gold Miners ETF (GDX) has surged nearly 120% year-to-date. Shares of the world's largest gold miner, Newmont (NEM), which is due to release quarterly results after Thursday's market close, have risen 140% this year, making the stock one of the top performers in the S&P 500.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
A 'now hiring' sign is displayed in a business window in Manhattan on September 05, 2025 in New York City.There's no doubt U.S. employers are adding far fewer jobs than they used to. The only question is, which of the economy's current headwinds are holding back hiring the most.
Economists at Goldman Sachs attempted to answer that question this week using data from states and companies. They found three of President Donald Trump's economic policies are the most significant factors in the job slowdown, with the increasing use of artificial intelligence so far a distant fourth.
The Goldman analysis sheds light on why the economy has settled into a low-hiring, low-firing equilibrium, an uneasy balance where people with jobs are relatively secure, but those without them are struggling to find work.
In August, the most recent data available, the U.S. gained just 22,000 jobs, a significant decline from the monthly average of around 147,000 jobs in the 12 months through April. The unemployment rate has ticked up to 4.3%, but it still isn't high by historic standards.
Elsie Peng, an economist for Goldman, estimates that job growth has settled into around 25,000 a month, well below the roughly 75,000 needed to keep the unemployment rate stable. The biggest factor in the slowdown in recent months is Trump's crackdown on immigration, which she estimates has reduced job growth by 50,000 per month.
The Goldman Sachs analysis highlights the seismic impact that several of President Donald Trump's policies are having on the American labor market, cutting job growth by an estimated 100,000 per month.
Trump's cutbacks to the federal workforce have also slowed things down, reducing government hiring by 30,000. Additionally, Goldman noted that a reduction in spending on federal contracts is weighing on the labor market.
Economic uncertainty, primarily driven by Trump's unpredictable campaign of raising tariffs on U.S. trading partners, is another contributing factor. Peng found the tariffs themselves have not directly caused much of a hiring slowdown, but many businesses have pulled back on hiring because they don't know what trade policies will be in the near future, and have grown increasingly concerned about a possible recession.
Those three factors have resulted in a reduction of 100,000 people per month in hiring, Peng wrote. A.I. adoption has made a smaller but measurable contribution to the job growth freeze, reducing monthly hiring by 10,000.
Understanding the trends behind the job slowdown is important for officials at the Federal Reserve who are weighing how much, and how quickly, to cut the central bank's key interest rate in the coming months. Fed officials cut the fed funds rate in September for the first time this year, aiming to boost the economy and support the job market by lowering borrowing costs on short-term loans.
Members of the Fed's policy committee have voiced concerns about the health of the job market. They are widely expected to cut the rate by another quarter-point at their meeting next week, and likely again at their final meeting of the year in December.
Fed officials are weighing the need to boost the job market against the risk that lower rates could stoke inflation. The Fed is tasked by its dual mandate from Congress with keeping both price increases and unemployment in check.
Matthias Balk / picture alliance via Getty Images
IBM on Wednesday evening reported better-than-expected revenue and profit, and raised its sales forecast.The devil is in the details, as they say.
Shares of IBM (IBM) slid Thursday after the tech company’s third-quarter results exceeded expectations on the top and bottom lines, but contained a few tidbits that left Wall Street disappointed.
IBM reported adjusted earnings of $2.65 per share, up 15% from the year-ago quarter and above the consensus estimate of $2.44. Third-quarter revenue increased 9% to $16.3 billion, also beating expectations. IBM also raised its full-year revenue and free cash flow forecasts.
Nonetheless, IBM shares were down 1.5% in recent trading, after falling as much as 8% earlier in the session, as investors focused on softness in the company’s software business.
The market's reaction to IBM's solid quarter underscores the high expectations that investors have for tech companies heading into this earnings season. Next week, five tech giants with a combined market cap of about $15 trillion will report earnings. Due to their size, big moves in their stocks would have a significant impact on the major indexes.
Sales growth at IBM’s Hybrid Cloud unit, a division of its software segment, decelerated to 12% in constant currency from 14% in the second quarter. Transaction processing revenue declined for the second consecutive quarter, falling 3%.
“IBM reported an overall clean quarter,” wrote Bank of America analysts in a note on Thursday. They maintained their “Buy” rating on the stock, “as IBM is mixing up to higher margin Software and driving strong [free cash flow] and we expect continued positive estimate revisions.”
Wall Street’s negative reaction to IBM’s beat-and-raise quarter could be ominous for tech investors. The bulk of the Magnificent Seven is slated to report results next week, and with most of the group trading at or near record highs, their results may need to handily beat estimates for Wall Street to be impressed.
That said, investors weren’t reading too much into IBM’s slowing cloud growth on Thursday. All of the Magnificent Seven were trading in the green.
Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Elevated mortgage rates affect the entire U.S. economy.The Fed is poised to cut interest rates again next week, but it may not matter much for the housing market.
Recent projections show that mortgage rates are likely to stay high through 2026. And that's after factoring in the half a percentage point of cuts to the federal funds rate that's expected before the end of the year. It’s a gloomy forecast for a housing market that has been stifled by the highest borrowing costs in decades.
The Mortgage Bankers Association projects that mortgage rates could be as high as 6.5% at the end of 2026 and possibly as high as 6.2% through 2027. Mortgage giant Fannie Mae has similarly high projections, anticipating that mortgage rates will be at or above 6% until the fourth quarter of 2026, when they dip to 5.9%.
Housing is a critical driver for the U.S. economy, fueling construction and consumer spending. But elevated mortgage rates and high prices have slowed real estate activity to a crawl in recent years. High rates are not only a drag on GDP, they price out potential buyers and limit mobility for people who have locked in lower rates.
MBA economists Mike Fratantoni and Joel Kan said in their 2026 outlook that slower economic growth and higher unemployment levels will help keep yields on the 10-year Treasury note at around 4.2%, which has a stronger influence on mortgage rates than the Fed-controlled federal funds rate. In fact, mortgage rates actually ticked higher after the Fed’s most recent interest rate cut in September.
“The risk of growing budget deficits and elevated inflation expectations will keep longer term rates from falling further, even as the Fed cuts short-term rates,” the Mortgage Bankers Association said in a release.
Historical Context For Mortgage RatesHigh mortgage rates—above 6% for more than three years—have been a big part of why housing has been so unaffordable in recent years. Elevated borrowing costs, along with a surge in housing prices in the years following the pandemic, have led to the slowest home sales in decades.
Rates have now been above 6% for more than three years, the longest streak since 2005-2007. But history shows that rates at that level or above were fairly common before that.
In fact, mortgage rates had never been below 6% since 1971, when Freddie Mac began tracking the data. They peaked at more than 18% in 1981.
Still, many borrowers remember the sub-5% rates that came in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, and then the extraordinary sub-3% rates during the COVID housing boom.
Rates won't have to get quite that low to breathe life into the housing market. Housing industry experts forecast that a mortgage rate level of 5.75% would likely bring a rush of buyers back into the market.
David Paul Morris / Bloomberg / Getty Images
Shares of Intel are up over 80% for 2025 after their recent rallyIntel could face heightened expectations from investors when it reports third-quarter earnings after the bell, following a torrid rally in recent months on a flurry of high-profile deals.
Though the stock was little changed in early trading Thursday, it's up over 80% for 2025, with most of the gains coming since August when the federal government took a 10% stake in the struggling chipmaker. A partnership with rival Nvidia (NVDA) followed last month, adding to optimism around the stock and fueling speculation more deals could be on the way.
However, the stock's rapid rise has also stoked some worries it may have climbed too far, too fast, with pressure now on Intel (INTC) to defend its support with evidence it's making progress toward a turnaround. That could set the stage for heightened volatility in the stock, with recent options pricing suggesting traders expect it could swing up to 10% in either direction after the results.
There are some concerns on Wall Street that the recent enthusiasm for Intel's stock could be premature. Investors will likely be looking for signs in Thursday's report that the chipmaker is making good on its newfound support.
Wall Street analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha expect the chipmaker to swing to a slight profit of 2 cents per share, from a loss in the preceding and year-ago quarters. Its revenue is projected to come in at $13.17 billion, which would represent a less than 1% decline from a year earlier.
However, most analysts aren't convinced Intel's stock is a "buy" yet, with those surveyed by Visible Alpha largely maintaining neutral ratings while waiting to see more customer commitments to Intel's manufacturing business. Reports last week suggested Intel may have secured a major new AI customer; Microsoft (MSFT) was floated as a likely name. Announcing a new client along with the earnings could help win over analysts.
Allison Robbert/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Reports that the Trump administration was considering government stakes in quantum computing firms moved markets today.A new White House trade is here.
President Donald Trump's hands-on approach to publicly-traded companies—sometimes called "state capitalism" or "national capitalism" now reportedly includes quantum computing firms.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is involved in discussions with a handful of companies, promising them federal funding in exchange for equity stakes given to the Commerce Department. The report sent shares of IonQ (IONQ), Rigetti Computing (RGTI), D-Wave Quantum (QBTS), and Quantum Computing (QUBT) sky-high Thursday. Their stocks were up between 5% and 14%. The Defiance Quantum ETF (QTUM), which holds 80-odd stocks, advanced 2%.
In the meantime, investors awaited further details. The White House, Commerce Department and D-Wave did not respond to Investopedia's queries in time for publication; IonQ and Quantum Computing said they do not comment on rumor or speculation; a spokesperson from Rigetti said that the company was "continuously engaging with the U.S. government on funding opportunities."
Investors are rushing into cutting-edge technology companies and adjacent suppliers to capture the upside implied by reports of U.S. government involvement. Caution may be warranted, however, with reports still unconfirmed and many of the companies moving today already highly volatile.
Quantum computing, which promises to enable speedier and more complex problem-solving relative to classical computers, is among the latest industries to be anointed as vital for the future. That has contributed to extreme price action in quantum computing computing stocks—even before the Journal's report.
The Trump government has made investments in publicly traded companies one of its hallmarks, with quantum technology representing a new direction. The administration has taken stakes in chipmakers, rare earths and mineral stocks, as well as manufacturing giant Nippon Steel.
Government intervention in business dealings have garnered both praise and criticism from market observers and policymakers. Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick have defended the U.S. government's taking equity interest in the companies that receive financial support, and supporters say they're addressing a need for direct involvement in vital industries.
After the U.S. took a 10% stake in chipmaker Intel (INTC), Lutnick described the deal as being "fair to the American people." And Trump has used generative image technology to post a picture of him trading Intel stock inside the White House, showing price gains in shares following his involvement.
But some economists and others have expressed concern that deals like these amount to the government picking winners and losers in a way that runs counter to the national interest and capitalist principles.
Matthias Balk / picture alliance via Getty Images
IBM's shares fell as its software revenue came in lower than analysts expectedMajor U.S. equities indexes mostly advanced Thursday as investors monitored China trade developments and digested the latest batch of corporate earnings. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq were higher, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was little changed.
IBM's (IBM) shares pulled back as its software revenue came in lower than analysts expected.
Tesla (TSLA) stock also declined, after its third-quarter profit came up short of analysts' estimates.
Molina Healthcare (MOH) was the worst-performing stock in the S&P 500 Thursday, a day after it badly missed analysts' third-quarter profit projections and slashed its full-year outlook.
Dow Inc. (DOW) stock surged after the company unexpectedly posted a third-quarter GAAP profit, even though its revenue came up short of analysts' estimates.
Honeywell International (HON) shares surged after the conglomerate raised its full-year profit projection and gave an update on planned spinoffs.
Shares of D-Wave Quantum (QBTS), IonQ (IONQ), Rigetti Computing (RGTI), and Quantum Computing (QUBT) all soared following a report by The Wall Street Journal that the Trump administration was in talks for the Commerce Department to take equity stakes in quantum computing firms.
Oil futures surged as the White House imposed additional sanctions against Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil. Gold prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note ticked higher. The U.S. dollar rose against the yen and pound, and were little changed against the euro. Most major cryptocurrencies advanced.
Sergei Gapon / AFP via Getty Images
Tesla's shares wavered Thursday, after the company reported earnings yesterday.Tesla's monthslong upward run has slowed. That has investors contemplating what's next for the stock with a vote on a huge new pay package for its chief just around the corner.
Shares of the EV maker and would-be AI giant wavered between gains and losses Thursday afternoon, after the company last night turned in third-quarter financial results that included some upbeat news—a return to year-over-year quarterly sales growth, for example—but also earnings per share that came in lower than Wall Street analysts expected. Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk used the conference call to restate his longer-term vision, but investors are showing some signs of wariness.
The stock has pulled back about 3% from its highs earlier this month, cutting into the year-to-date gains the stock had managed after climbing off spring lows. Meanwhile, how to think about Tesla—as a carmaker with global ambitions, a trade on Musk's aspirations, or something in between—is a familiar topic for investors. In the wake of the Q3 results, the takes of bullish and bearish analysts detail the latest subjects in the debate.
The Tesla stock ride has always meant some volatility, and today is no exception. The stock initially slipped before making a comeback in recent trading, indicating at least some short-term wariness about what price investors should be willing to pay to be part of Elon Musk's vision.
At Wedbush, analyst Dan Ives—one of the Street's big Tesla bulls, with a $600 price target that is nearly 60% above the Visible Alpha average near $378 and roughly 40% higher than Wednesday's close—says the focus was as much on autonomy, robotaxis, and Optimus robots as car sales. (Musk last night said Tesla's AI strategy is at an "inflection point.")
"We continue to believe Tesla could reach a $2 trillion market cap in early 2026 in a bull case scenario and $3 trillion by the end of 2026 as the golden AI chapter takes hold at Tesla," Wedbush wrote. (Tesla's current market cap is around $1.4 trillion.)
JPMorgan's analysts have a $150 price target on the shares—among the lowest tracked by Visible Alpha—even as they cite "bold" products, "visionary leadership," and a sense that "technology and execution risk seem substantially less than was once feared." The analysts cut their earnings-per-share estimates through 2027, citing concerns about spending and operating expenses.
"Expansion into higher volume segments with lower price points seems fraught with greater risk relative to demand, execution, and competition," they wrote.
The next big milestone for Tesla is due early next month, with shareholders set to advance on an incentive-laden pay proposal that could make Musk a trillionaire. Some proxy firms are urging shareholders to vote against the package; on its X account, Tesla says Musk "is the CEO that can make this ambitious vision a reality."
This article has been updated since it was first published to reflect more recent stock prices.
Tesla (TSLA) shares fell Thursday morning after the company's quarterly profit came in short of analysts' estimates, even as it returned to revenue growth following two quarters of declines.
The company reported adjusted earnings of 50 cents per share in the period, missing the average Wall Street estimate of 54 cents a share. Lower EV prices and higher operating costs tied to restructuring and AI investments dented the bottom line. CEO Elon Musk told analysts that Tesla is at a "critical inflection point" as it focuses on its next phase of growth, which will center on “real-world” applications of AI, including self-driving cars and smart robots.
Tesla shares were down 5% at around $418 in the opening minutes of Thursday's session. The stock, which was the top performer among Magnificent Seven stocks in the third quarter, was up 9% for the year through Wednesday's close.
Below, we break down the technicals on Tesla’s chart and identify key price levels worth watching out for.
Pennant Pattern BreakdownAfter hitting their 2025 high earlier this month, Tesla shares have consolidated within a pennant, a chart pattern signaling a continuation of the stock’s recent uptrend.
However, the price looks set to break down below the pattern in Thursday’s trading session following the weaker-than-expected earnings, suggesting waning bullish momentum and the potential for a near-term pullback.
It’s also worth noting that volume has declined during the pennant pattern, indicating a lack of conviction among buyers and sellers ahead of the company’s quarterly results.
Let’s identify three key support levels to watch on Tesla’s chart if the shares lose ground and also point out a zone of resistance worth monitoring during potential upswings in the stock.
Key Support Levels to WatchThe first level to watch sits around $360. This area, roughly midway between the 50- and 200-day moving averages, would likely attract buyers’ attention near a trendline that links a series of peaks on the chart between November and August.
Selling below this level could see the shares retreat toward $292. The price may find support in this location near the March countertrend high and a cluster of trading activity spanning from April to July.
A more-significant retracement may spark a decline to the $267 level. Investors could see this as a high probability buying area near three prominent peaks that formed on the chart in July, September, and October last year.
Zone of Resistance Worth MonitoringDuring upswings in Tesla shares, investors should keep a close eye on a zone of resistance between $465 and $489. Those who have purchased at lower prices may seek exit points in this region near the top of the pennant pattern and the stock’s record high.
The comments, opinions, and analyses expressed on Investopedia are for informational purposes only. Read our warranty and liability disclaimer for more info.
As of the date this article was written, the author does not own any of the above securities.
News of the day for Oct. 23, 2025
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Chipmaking giant Intel is due to release its quarterly results after the closing bell today.Stock futures are down slightly this morning as investors assess a slew of corporate earnings reports and monitor developments in U.S.-China trade relations; Tesla (TSLA) shares are falling after the EV maker’s third-quarter profit came up short of Wall Street estimates despite higher-than-expected revenue; IBM (IBM) shares are lower after its quarterly software sales missed analysts' expectations; Intel (INTC) is set to release results after the closing bell, with traders pricing in a big move in the chipmaker's stock following the report; and oil prices are rising after the U.S. slapped sanctions on major Russian oil firms amid pressure to end the Ukraine war. Here's what you need to know today.
1. Stock Futures Slip Amid Wave of Corporate EarningsStock futures are moving lower Thursday as investors pour over a barrage of earnings reports from major companies and keep tabs on developments in U.S.-China trade relations. Major U.S. indexes lost ground yesterday, led by declines in tech stocks, one day after the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a record high. Dow futures were down 0.2% in recent trading, as were S&P 500 futures, while futures tied to the tech-heavy Nasdaq slipped 0.3%. Gold futures, which have hit a series of record highs lately but stumbled this week, were up 1.5% at near $4,125 an ounce. Bitcoin (BTCUSD) was trading at $109,000, up from an overnight low of $106,700. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which can have an impact on mortgage rates and other consumer loans, ticked higher to 3.99% after it recently hit six-month lows.
2. Tesla Shares Fall as Earnings DisappointTesla (TSLA) shares are down in premarket trading after the EV maker's quarterly profit came in short of analysts' estimates, even as it returned to revenue growth following two quarters of declines. Tesla posted earnings per share of 50 cents in the third quarter, below the 54 cents that analysts tracked by Visible Alpha had estimated. Revenue in the period rose 12% to $28.1 billion, beating estimates. Tesla’s revenue grew as customers rushed to take advantage of an expiring EV tax credit, though the company’s investments in restructuring and AI drove its costs higher. On the earnings conference call, CEO Elon Musk touted the company’s advancements in AI, self-driving cars and humanoid robotics, highlighting the technologies as the firm’s next stage of growth. Tesla shares, which through yesterday's close had gained 9% so far this year, were down 4% ahead of the bell.
3. IBM Shares Fall as Software Sales Miss EstimatesIBM (IBM) shares are sharply lower as a slowdown in software sales growth offset revenue and profit numbers that came in ahead of analysts' estimates. IBM said that third-quarter revenue rose 9% to $16.33 billion, while earnings per share were $2.65, well above the $2.44 that analysts had been expecting. However, the 10% increase in software sales to $7.2 billion came in slightly below estimates and raised concerns about the company's growth trajectory at a time when demand is booming for cloud services. Shares of IBM, a Dow component, were down 7% in recent premarket trading. Coming into today's session, the stock had gained 30% so far in 2025.
4. Intel Set to Report Results, Big Stock Move ExpectedIntel (INTC) is scheduled to release its third-quarter numbers after the closing bell, and traders anticipate volatility in its stock price following the report. Analysts tracked by Visible Alpha expect quarterly revenue for the embattled chipmaker to have declined slightly to around $13.16 billion, while its adjusted earnings are estimated at two cents a share, an improvement over its loss of 48 cents a share in the year-ago quarter. Intel shares have risen roughly 85% so far this year as investor sentiment has been boosted by a series of major investments in the company. The Trump administration in August took an approximately 10% stake in the company, and Intel has also received investments from Japan's SoftBank and AI chip giant Nvidia (NVDA). Intel shares were down about 1% in recent trading.
5. Oil Futures Jump as Trump Administration Sanctions Russian FirmsOil futures are surging after the Trump administration put sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies amid pressure to end the war in the Ukraine. The Treasury Department said the sanctions on Russian oil firms Rosneft and Lukoil are designed to “degrade the Kremlin’s ability to raise revenue for its war machine.” West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. crude oil benchmark, were up more than 5% at $61.50 per barrel. Brent crude futures, the global benchmark, were also up about 5%. “Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
From the publisher's feed