• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

2

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

3

Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026

1

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

2

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

3

Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
Finance

Oh, October: What a month it was for the stock market

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 31, 2014, 5:19 PM ET
Traders work on the floor before the NYSE Opening Bell in New York
Traders work on the floor before the NYSE Opening Bell in New York October 13, 2014. REUTERS/Darren Ornitz (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTR4A03JPhotograph by Darren Ornitz — Reuters
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

With Friday’s market-wide rally, U.S. stocks ended the week and the month surprisingly more healthy than most people probably thought they would a few weeks ago.

News of the Bank of Japan’s increased stimulus boosted investor confidence in the global economy, sending stocks soaring around the world higher and pushing the Dow Jones and S&P indexes to record closes. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq composite hit its highest point of the year.

The markets are closing out a tumultuous month that featured a number of dramatic sell-offs and rebounds as investors worried about a series of global crises, including the U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria, Hong Kong protests and Ebola. Markets were also in flux thanks to concern over the outlook of the global economy as well as fears that the U.S. Federal Reserve would raise interest rates sooner than expected.

Here are some numbers that show what a wild month October has been:

— The Dow Jones’ lowest point of the month was 15,855 on October 15, when it sank below the 16,000-point mark on a day when the index was at one point down by about 460 points.

— The Dow Jones’ highest point of the month was today, obviously, when the blue-chip index hit a peak of 17,395. That’s a swing of 1,540 points within the month of October.

— The difference between the highest and lowest marks for the S&P 500 was almost 200 points, while the Nasdaq moved by almost 515 points.

— The Dow Jones fell on 12 days in October and rose on 11, out of 23 trading days. On 16 of those days, the index moved by at least 100 points.

— The mid-point of October was the essentially the nadir for the three major indices. In the last two weeks of October, the Dow Jones gained 6.1%, the S&P 500 rose by 7% and the Nasdaq jumped by almost 9%.

— The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX), which is known as the “fear index,” fluctuated wildly throughout the month – starting October around 16 points, then crossing the 30-point mark mid-way through the month before ending Friday around 14 points.

But, in spite of all of the ups-and-downs, two straight weeks of gains, capped by Friday’s market-wide rally, has left the three major indices well ahead for the month. Nasdaq had the best month of the lot, gaining 3.2% in October. The Dow Jones ended up gaining 2% for the month while the S&P 500 was up 2.4%.

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Finance

Top CD rates from major banks July 29, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on July 29, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 29, 2026
14 minutes ago
Current price of Bitcoin for July 29, 2026
Personal FinanceCryptocurrency
Current price of Bitcoin for July 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 29, 2026
18 minutes ago
Current price of Ethereum for July 29, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for July 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 29, 2026
18 minutes ago
Current price of oil as of July 29, 2026
Personal FinanceOil
Current price of oil as of July 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 29, 2026
29 minutes ago
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Personal Financesilver
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, July 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 29, 2026
34 minutes ago
Jamie Dimon says his stockbroker father taught him to invest with a ‘brutally hard’ childhood game
C-SuiteJamie Dimon
Jamie Dimon says his stockbroker father taught him to invest with a ‘brutally hard’ childhood game
By Sarah GlodekJuly 29, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
C-Suite
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
2 days ago
eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats
Law
eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats
By The Associated Press and Leah WillinghamJuly 28, 2026
13 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 28, 2026
22 hours ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
4 days ago
No. 1 on the Fortune Global 500: Amazon's Jeff Bezos on how his garage startup became the largest company in the world by revenue
Magazine
No. 1 on the Fortune Global 500: Amazon's Jeff Bezos on how his garage startup became the largest company in the world by revenue
By Kristin StollerJuly 28, 2026
1 day ago
The brutal math behind Gen Z's lonely weekends: $15 drinks are driving a generational 'spending hangover'
Economy
The brutal math behind Gen Z's lonely weekends: $15 drinks are driving a generational 'spending hangover'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 28, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.