U.S. stocks fluctuated in the final hour of trading Friday to close lower as investors looked ahead to next week's presidential election. Another slump in crude oil also pressured markets. West Texas Intermediate closed with a weekly loss of nearly 10%, its worst week since mid-January. A weekly read on oil-drilling activity in the U.S. showed an increase in the number of active rigs. Whole Foods was briefly halted in the early afternoon after volatile trading. The supermarket chain's shares spiked after reports emerged a major shareholder is pushing for changes, including a possible sale. SolarCity rallied after Institutional Shareholder Services endorsed Tesla's plan to buy the solar company for more than $2 billion. The shareholder advisory firm said the deal was a necessary step for Tesla to become an "integrated sustainable energy company." TheStreet's Keris Lahiff reports from Wall Street.

U.S. stocks moved higher early Thursday as the UK's withdrawal from the European Union faces new hurdles. A high UK court ruled that Article 50, which begins the UK's withdrawal process from the European Union, can't be triggered without a Parliament vote. Most of Parliament was against Brexit. This sent the pound surging against the dollar. Plus, the Bank of England kept benchmark interest rates unchanged following its policy meeting, after cutting them over the summer amid Brexit concerns. Weekly jobless claims rose to 265,000 last week, topping estimates of 255,000 and an increase from the 258,000 seen in the prior week. Qualcomm shares rose after reporting adjusted earnings of $1.28 a share, beating estimates of $1.13 for its most recent quarter. Revenue rose year-over-year and topped Wall Street's forecasts. Last month, the company agreed to purchase NXP Semiconductors for $39 billion. TheStreet's Scott Gamm reports from Wall Street.

U.S. stocks were mixed on Thursday as investors remained cautious ahead of the jobs report on Friday and next Tuesday's presidential election. The S&P 500 could narrowly snap a seven-day losing streak, its longest in five years. Services activity in the U.S. weakened in October, though remained in expansionary territory for its 81st straight month. New orders and business activity both softened, according to the non-manufacturing ISM index. Chesapeake Energy rallied after reporting surprise quarterly adjusted profit, its first in the green in six quarters. Lower costs helped to offset a 32% slump in revenue. Mobile-game developer Zynga reported a surprise loss over its third quarter as average monthly active users declined. Fourth-quarter revenue guidance also fell short of estimates.

U.S. stocks moved lower as an earnings-driven selloff in Facebook and Fitbit shares dragged on the Nasdaq. Crude also declined for its fifth session, settling at six-week lows. 21st Century Fox beat profit and sales estimates in its recent quarter on strength in its film and TV segments. Higher affiliate fees at Fox News and a strong box office performance for Independence Day: Resurgence drove its results. Small-cap stock Lattice Semiconductor rallied after the company agreed to be acquired by Canyon Bridge Capital Partners. The deal values Lattice at a 30% premium to its previous close. Transocean jumped after besting third-quarter earnings estimates. The offshore oil driller maintained a tight control on expenses and boosted its fleet efficiency over the quarter.

U.S. stocks continued their downward slide early Wednesday as investors braced for the outcome of next week's presidential election. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve releases its November statement this afternoon, a uniquely timed meeting that's close to the election and in the middle of a selloff in global markets. The ADP Employment Report showed the private sector created 147,000 jobs in October, missing estimates of 170,000. The report tends to foreshadow Friday's jobs report from the government. Time Warner shares moved higher after reporting third quarter earnings of $1.83 a share, beating estimates of $1.37. Revenue of $7.2 billion also eclipsed Wall Street's forecast of $6.98 billion. The company is in the process of being acquired by AT&T . Alibaba shares rose after beating Wall Street's top and bottom line estimates for its most recent quarter. Revenue rose 55% year over year. The ecommerce company how has 439 million active annual buyers, compared to 386 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Stocks moved mostly lower as crude slumped and jitters over the presidential election persisted. Safe-haven assets rose, including government bonds and gold. Crude inventories in the U.S. increased by more than 14 million barrels in the past week, far higher than analysts expected. Prices were already under pressure on fading hopes that major oil producers would agree to a production freeze deal. Ford reported a sharp drop in October sales in the U.S. Unit sales declined 12% as passenger car sales slumped. Ford postponed its release on Tuesday due to fire delays at its headquarters in Michigan. Allergan fell after cutting its full-year earnings and sales outlook. The drugmaker also committed to returning more cash to shareholders by way of a buyback program worth $15 billion.

Worries over the presidential election and a slump in crude prices pulled the S&P 500 lower for its seventh session in a row. Crude closed at its lowest since late September. The Fed opted to leave its fed funds rate unchanged, instead waiting for further evidence of progress toward full employment and 2% inflation. The chances of a December rate hike are now over 70%. Yelp rallied after posting surprise profit in its third quarter. The business reviews site also detailed plans to pause its global expansion to refocus on the U.S. market. Etsy reported a 33% surge in third-quarter revenue. The crafts marketplace also announced that its chief financial officer had decided to leave the company in March. The search for a new CFO will begin immediately.

U.S. stocks kicked off the first trading session of the month slightly higher as fresh data helped to calm fears of an economic downturn in China. The official purchasing managers' index in the world's second largest economy rose to 51.2 in October, compared to 50.4 in September - its highest level in two years. Readings above 50 signal a growing manufacturing sector. Pfizer shares slipped after reporting a lower-than-expected outlook. The drug maker expects full year earnings to range between $2.38 and $2.43 a share, while analysts were expecting $2.46. Pfizer is also halting work on a cholesterol drug it was developing. BP shares were in focus after posting a 35% increase in third quarter profit, lifted by rigorous cost cutting. The company lowered its 2017 capital expenditure guidance. TheStreet's Scott Gamm reports from Wall Street.

Stocks began the new month in the red as uncertainty over the upcoming presidential election weighed on Wall Street. Most polls show Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton leading a narrower race. Manufacturing activity in the U.S. in October improved by slightly more than expected. A comeback in manufacturing has been welcome after a higher U.S. dollar and low oil prices stunted growth for months. Construction spending in September showed a surprise decrease. Private nonresidential construction weighed on the total as commercial and manufacturing building activity declined. August's number was also revised to show a smaller increase. Gannett jumped after abandoning its bid to purchase newspaper publisher Tronc . The two had failed to reach an agreement on price after months of talks. Tronc shares slumped.

Stocks suffered a dismal start to the month as conflicting polls bred uncertainty over the upcoming presidential election. Defensive utilities stocks were among the worst performers. October was a tough month for automakers. GM posted a nearly 2% decline in unit sales, though that was one-third of an expected drop. Fiat Chrysler reported a sharper than expected drop. Ford postponed its report for later this week after a delay tied to a fire at its headquarters. Archer Daniels rallied after earnings topped estimates. A jump in agricultural services revenue drove profit growth over the third quarter. Yum China Holdings climbed in its market debut. The company has exclusive rights to KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in mainland China after its spinoff from parent Yum! Brands .