Markets News, Oct. 31, 2025: Stocks End Higher as Amazon Boosts Nasdaq; Indexes Post Weekly, Monthly Gains

Stocks closed higher Friday, capping a strong week and month for major indexes. The Nasdaq rose 0.6%, the S&P 500 gained 0.3%, and the Dow edged up 0.1%, lifted by Amazon’s blowout earnings. Amazon (AMZN) surged 9.6% to a record high, offsetting steep post-earnings declines in Meta (META) and Microsoft (MSFT), which fell 11% and 3%, respectively.

Apple (AAPL) dipped 0.4% despite strong results, while Nvidia (NVDA) slipped 0.2% after announcing a 250,000-chip deployment across South Korea. Reddit (RDDT) jumped 7.6% on earnings, and Netflix (NFLX) rose 2.7% after unveiling a 10-to-1 stock split.

Top Advancers:

• Amazon (AMZN): surged nearly 10% to a record close after strong Q3 earnings, driven by robust AWS growth and CEO Andy Jassy’s bullish AI infrastructure outlook.
• First Solar (FSLR): soared 14%—the day’s best S&P 500 performer—on better-than-expected revenue and plans for a new 3.7 GW U.S. manufacturing facility.
• Coinbase (COIN): gained 5% after beating sales and profit forecasts, citing increased trading volume and expansion into prediction markets and tokenized assets.

Top Decliners:

• DexCom (DXCM): plunged 15% despite beating Q3 estimates, as management warned of slower 2026 growth and addressed concerns over its G7 glucose monitor.
• Erie Indemnity (ERIE): fell 5.5% after mixed results and continued underwriting losses tied to severe weather claims in auto and homeowners insurance.

All three major U.S. stock indexes ended October on a high note, buoyed by strong tech earnings and resilient economic data. For the week, the Nasdaq rose 2.2%, the S&P 500 gained 0.7%, and the Dow added 0.8%. Monthly performance was even stronger:

• Nasdaq: +4.7%
• S&P 500: +2.3%
• Dow Jones: +2.5%

Year-to-date, the Nasdaq leads with a 23% gain, followed by the S&P 500 at 17% and the Dow at 12%, reflecting investor enthusiasm for AI and tech-driven growth.

The U.S. government shutdown has stretched into its 31st day, leaving roughly 1.4 million federal workers without paychecks, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. In response, major banks including Citibank, Capital One, and Wells Fargo are offering assistance to affected customers, encouraging them to reach out for support with credit cards, loans, and account flexibility.

The shutdown’s economic ripple effects are growing, with financial institutions stepping in to soften the blow for unpaid workers.

With the government shutdown now in its 31st day, banks including Citibank, Capital One, Wells Fargo, and others are stepping in to support the 1.4 million federal employees going without pay. Impacted customers are encouraged to call the number on the back of their card to request assistance with credit card payments, loans, and account flexibility.

These emergency measures aim to ease financial strain while workers await resolution in Washington.

Bright Horizons Family Solutions (BFAM) surged 16% Friday after reporting Q3 earnings of $1.57 per share on $802.8 million in revenue beating analyst expectations of $1.32 and $780.2 million. The early education and child care provider also raised its full-year guidance, now projecting revenue of $2.925 billion and adjusted EPS between $4.48 and $4.53.

Last quarter, the company forecasted $2.9B $2.92B in revenue and EPS of $4.15 $4.25. Despite the rally, BFAM shares remain slightly negative for the year.

First Solar (FSLR) surged 13% Friday, becoming the top-performing S&P 500 stock after reporting record Q3 sales of $1.595 billion and announcing progress on its domestic capacity expansion. CEO Mark Widmar highlighted production runs and plant qualification at the company’s new Louisiana facility, part of its fifth U.S. manufacturing site.

While earnings per share of $4.24 came in slightly below estimates, investors cheered the company’s disciplined growth strategy and liquidity strength. FSLR shares are now up roughly 50% year-to-date.

Reddit (RDDT) shares jumped 18% Friday after the social media platform crushed Q3 expectations, reporting earnings per share of $0.80 and a 68% year-over-year revenue surge to $585 million. Analysts had forecast significantly lower results, making Reddit one of the day’s standout performers.

The company also posted strong user growth, helping push its year-to-date stock gains close to 40% and reinforcing investor confidence in its monetization strategy and global expansion.

Reddit DAUqs Jump 19% to 116M as Search and Global Expansion Drive Growth

Reddit (RDDT) reported a 19% year-over-year increase in daily active uniques (DAUqs), reaching 116 million. International users surged 31% to 64.4 million, led by strong growth in France, Brazil, and India. U.S. DAUqs rose 7% to 51.6 million.

CEO Steve Huffman said Reddit is “making real progress” in its three focus areas: core product, search, and internationalization. He highlighted search as a major opportunity, with over 75 million people using Reddit to search the internet last quarter a number that continues to grow.

Newell Brands (NWL), parent of Rubbermaid and Sharpie, saw its stock dive 30% Friday after slashing its full-year outlook. The company now expects 2025 net sales to fall 4.5% 5% year-over-year, down from its prior forecast of a 2% 3% decline. Adjusted EPS was lowered to $0.56 $0.60, and operating margin to 8.4% 8.6%, citing $180 million in incremental tariff costs.

Q3 sales fell 7.2% to $1.81 billion, hit by reduced retail inventory, weak international demand especially in Brazil and pricing pressure. NWL shares have lost nearly two-thirds of their value in 2025.

Netflix (NFLX) will undergo a 10-for-1 stock split after the closing bell on Friday, Nov. 14. Shareholders will receive nine additional shares for every one they own, with trading at the split-adjusted price beginning Monday, Nov. 17. The move aims to make Netflix stock more accessible to a wider range of investors without changing the overall value of their holdings.

The split follows a strong year for Netflix, which has outpaced the broader market and continues to expand its global streaming footprint.

Netflix Stock Split Targets Accessibility as Shares Rise 26% YTD

Netflix (NFLX) will execute a 10-for-1 stock split on Nov. 14 to “reset the market price” and make shares more accessible to employees in its stock option program. The move also aims to attract outside investors who may have been deterred by the stock’s high price after a strong run-up this year.

Shares were recently trading above $1,123, up over 3% on the day and 26% year-to-date well ahead of the S&P 500’s 16% gain. Trading at the split-adjusted price begins Nov. 17.

DexCom (DXCM) shares plunged 15% Friday, making it the worst-performing S&P 500 stock after CEO Jake Leach signaled that the company’s full-year revenue forecast may fall short of Wall Street expectations. DexCom projected 2025 revenue of $4.63B $4.65B, up 15% year-over-year, but Leach noted the top end is “slightly below where the Street is today.”

Despite beating Q3 estimates with $0.70 EPS and $1.21B in revenue, investor sentiment soured. DexCom shares are now down 25% year-to-date.

Apple (AAPL) shares opened at a record high Friday after the tech giant reported stronger-than-expected Q4 earnings and CEO Tim Cook forecasted the “best ever” holiday season. The company posted earnings per share of $1.85 on revenue of $102.47 billion up 8% year-over-year and ahead of analyst expectations.

Apple’s services segment hit a record $28.75 billion in revenue, underscoring its growing role in the company’s ecosystem as hardware sales stabilize.

Apple Hits $4T Market Cap as iPhone 17 Drives Record Q4 and Holiday Forecast

Apple (AAPL) reported Q4 iPhone sales of $49.03 billion up 6% year-over-year and a September-quarter record fueled by strong demand for the newly launched iPhone 17 lineup. CEO Tim Cook projected 10% 12% revenue growth for the December quarter, calling it “the best ever for the company and the best ever for iPhone.” Analysts had expected just 6%.

Apple’s total Q4 revenue rose 8% to $102.47 billion, with services revenue hitting a record $28.75 billion. Shares are up 8% year-to-date, lifting Apple’s market cap above $4 trillion second only to Nvidia (NVDA).

Amazon (AMZN) soared over 13% Friday, hitting its first all-time high since February after posting Q3 earnings of $1.95 per share well above last year’s $1.43 and analyst expectations. Revenue jumped 13% year-over-year to $180.2 billion, fueled by a 20% surge in Amazon Web Services (AWS) sales to $33 billion.

The results reaffirm Amazon’s leadership in cloud infrastructure and its growing momentum in AI-driven enterprise demand.

Amazon Forecasts $213B Q4 Revenue as AI Drives Growth—Despite Layoffs and Tariff Headwinds

Amazon (AMZN) expects fourth-quarter revenue between $206B and $213B, topping analyst estimates of $208.66B. CEO Andy Jassy said AI is driving “meaningful improvements in every corner of our business,” with strong demand for core infrastructure accelerating AWS capacity.

The company raised its 2025 capital expenditure forecast to $125B and expects further increases in 2026. However, Amazon also announced plans to cut 14,000 jobs its largest layoff round ever as it reallocates resources toward AI investments.

Despite the Q3 beat, Amazon shares were up less than 2% year-to-date through Thursday, weighed down by earlier concerns over tariffs and cloud growth.