Why it matters
- The Dow rose 1.02% to 52,495.88 and the S&P 500 gained 0.28% to 7,712.57 on Tuesday, Oct. 20, as oil prices eased and investors focused on earnings, Yahoo Finance reported. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.02% and the Russell 2000 jumped 1.65%.
- 3M rose 5.78% and Northrop Grumman 4.57% after both raised their 2026 outlooks, their releases said, while GM fell 6.84% and GE Aerospace 3.67%, Yahoo Finance data showed.
- The 10-year Treasury yield eased to 5.12% from 5.15%, Treasury data showed. December Brent settled down 0.7% at $108.79 a barrel after a choppy session driven by U.S.-Iran talks headlines, Bloomberg reported.
Session recap: what happened in this region's trading day, with sources.
U.S. stocks were mixed on Tuesday, Oct. 20, as oil prices eased and investors turned their focus to a heavy slate of earnings reports, Yahoo Finance reported. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.02% to 52,495.88 and the S&P 500 gained 0.28% to 7,712.57, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.02% to 26,424.82, according to Yahoo Finance data.
| Index | Tuesday close | Change vs. Monday, Oct. 19 |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | 7,712.57 | +21.84 (+0.28%) |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | 52,495.88 | +529.85 (+1.02%) |
| Nasdaq Composite | 26,424.82 | −6.07 (−0.02%) |
| Russell 2000 | 2,773.42 | +45.12 (+1.65%) |
| S&P/TSX Composite (Canada) | 36,107.96 | +179.36 (+0.50%) |
| Ibovespa (Brazil) | 208,295.98 | +3,216.98 (+1.57%) |
| S&P/BMV IPC (Mexico) | 69,258.58 | +247.91 (+0.36%) |
Source: Yahoo Finance daily chart data.
Why did the Dow rise today?
Stocks opened mixed, with chip stocks sliding and oil near a five-month high, but the rally spread through the morning as oil turned lower and chipmakers recovered, Yahoo Finance's Jared Blikre wrote at midday. Health care, real estate and utilities led at the close, Yahoo Finance said. Small caps outperformed: the Russell 2000 gained 1.65%, against 0.28% for the S&P 500. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index ended down 0.29% and the Cboe Volatility Index fell 6.13% to 17.31, Yahoo Finance data showed.
Worries about the AI trade lingered after South Korean data-center provider Elice plunged 32% in its Seoul debut, Yahoo Finance reported.
How did GE Aerospace, RTX, GM, 3M and Northrop stocks do?
| Stock | Tuesday close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 3M | $171.37 | +5.78% |
| Northrop Grumman | $534.00 | +4.57% |
| RTX | $193.34 | +0.64% |
| GE Aerospace | $299.87 | −3.67% |
| General Motors | $77.09 | −6.84% |
Source: Yahoo Finance chart data.
- 3M reported adjusted earnings of $2.50 a share, up 12%, and raised its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $9.10 to $9.15, the company said.
- Northrop Grumman said sales rose 7% to $11.1 billion and diluted EPS was $7.89; it raised its 2026 MTM-adjusted EPS guidance to $29.35 to $29.75 from $28.60 to $29.10.
- RTX reported adjusted EPS of $2.26 on sales of $25.0 billion, up 11%, and raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $7.65 to $7.75 from $7.10 to $7.25. Yahoo Finance said RTX and Northrop are benefiting as global conflict lifts demand for weapons.
- GE Aerospace reported adjusted EPS of $2.25, up 36%, on orders up 49% to $19.0 billion, and raised its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $8.00 to $8.10 from $7.65 to $7.85, the company said.
- General Motors reported revenue of $50.0 billion and adjusted EPS of $3.70, narrowed its 2026 EBIT-adjusted guidance to $14.5 billion to $15.5 billion and approved a new $20 billion buyback, its release said. Yahoo Finance noted GM tightened its profit outlook instead of raising it.
After the close, Netflix shares fell about 5% after its fourth-quarter revenue forecast of $13.44 billion missed analysts' $13.51 billion estimate, Yahoo Finance reported. The stock had closed down 1.66% at $68.69.
What happened to Treasury yields, oil and housing?
The 10-year Treasury yield eased to 5.12% from 5.15% on Monday, and the 30-year to 5.42% from 5.48%, while the 2-year rose to 4.79% from 4.77%, Treasury Department data showed.
Brent for December settlement fell 0.7% to $108.79 a barrel, Bloomberg reported. An unconfirmed report on U.S.-Iran negotiations knocked oil as much as 3.3% lower before Bloomberg reported that claims of a near agreement were inaccurate, Bloomberg said. West Texas Intermediate for December fell 0.7% to $97.82, and the expiring November contract fell 1.8% to $101.79.
Earlier, the Census Bureau said September housing starts fell 5.2% to a 1.221 million annual rate.
What's next for markets?
Tesla and Meta report on Wednesday, Yahoo Finance said. This morning's day ahead has the week's calendar; see the Europe Tuesday recap, the Asia Tuesday recap and Monday's U.S. session recap. The markets page tracks the latest numbers.
Follow the rest of the trading day on our global market today page, with the latest Asia, Europe and Americas session recaps.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance, Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500 rise, Nasdaq slips as investors await SpaceX, Netflix earnings (Oct. 20, 2026)
- Bloomberg via Rigzone, Oil slips as Iran talks fuel volatility (Oct. 20, 2026)
- GE Aerospace, third-quarter 2026 results (SEC filing)
- RTX, third-quarter 2026 results (SEC filing)
- General Motors, third-quarter 2026 results (SEC filing)
- 3M, third-quarter 2026 results (SEC filing)
- Northrop Grumman, third-quarter 2026 results (SEC filing)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly New Residential Construction, September 2026
- U.S. Treasury, Daily Treasury par yield curve rates, 2026
- Yahoo Finance, daily chart data for the S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq Composite, Russell 2000, S&P/TSX Composite, Ibovespa, S&P/BMV IPC, PHLX Semiconductor Index, VIX, 3M, Northrop Grumman, RTX, GE Aerospace, General Motors and Netflix