Vancouver, British Columbia, October 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Stock Preachers Market Commentary: Entering its third trading day of the week, growth stocks and small caps are leading the market. The Nasdaq Composite rose 1.04% today, bringing its weekly gain to 2.14% to close at 26,700.62; the Russell 2000 advanced 0.44%, extending its weekly gain to 2.36%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 also contributed to the rally, both up over 1.2% for the week. Earnings reports from companies in the industrial, healthcare, exchange, and residential construction sectors have provided investors with new data to distinguish leaders from laggards. Active companies with recent developments this week include: RTX (NYSE: RTX), Abbott (NYSE: ABT), CME Group Inc. (Nasdaq: CME), M/I Homes, Inc. (NYSE: MHO), and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 52,637.78, up 0.27% for the day and 1.22% for the week, trading within a range of 51,863.80 to 52,711.93 during the week. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% to 7,751.45, up 1.2% for the week, with an RSI14 of 53.1; the Nasdaq Composite, despite a larger weekly gain, had an RSI14 of 48.6. The Russell 2000 had the lowest RSI14 among the major indices at 44.9, but posted the best weekly percentage gain.
As the stock market rebounds, volatility has eased. The VIX closed at 16.72, down 0.59 points on the day and 1.72 points for the week; the Nasdaq 100 Volatility Index fell to 24.65, down 2.48 points for the week. Both indicators are near their weekly lows of 16.51 and 23.92, respectively, suggesting reduced hedging demand as equities rise.
Commodities showed divergent trends. WTI crude oil fell 4.64% on the day and 6.36% for the week, closing at $97.07 per barrel; natural gas declined 4.79% on the day and 7.75% for the week, settling at $2.82 per million BTUs. Gold edged up 0.18% to $4,150.10 per ounce; silver rose 1.18% for the week to $57.65; the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield held steady at approximately 5.11%, up 1 basis point for the week.
This comprehensive report outlines key support and resistance levels for each index, while also broadly examining corporate developments this week and market sentiment heading into the final trading days of the week.
Here are other industry developments and events from this week:
RTX (NYSE: RTX) reported third-quarter sales of $25 billion, an 11% year-over-year increase, or 12% on an organic basis. Adjusted earnings per share were $2.26, up 33% year-over-year, including a $0.25 benefit from IEPA cost recovery. The company’s backlog reached a record $340 billion, with $176 billion in commercial business and $164 billion in defense business.
The company raised its full-year 2026 outlook, now expecting adjusted sales of $97 billion to $97.5 billion, up from the previous range of $95 billion to $96 billion; adjusted EPS is now expected to be $7.65 to $7.75, up from the prior range of $7.10 to $7.25. Free cash flow guidance has also been increased from $8.5 billion to $8.75 billion to $9 billion to $9.2 billion.
Chris Calio, CEO and Chairman of RTX, said: "Our strong execution and operational focus in the third quarter enabled RTX to achieve double-digit organic sales growth in both commercial aerospace and defense businesses. Demand for our products remains robust, with new commercial and defense orders exceeding $81 billion, driving backlog to a record $340 billion."
Abbott (NYSE: ABT) reported third-quarter sales growth of 14.5%, with comparable sales growth of 7.0%. Diluted earnings per share under GAAP were $0.53; adjusted diluted earnings per share, excluding specific items, were $1.42.
The company reaffirmed its full-year 2026 adjusted diluted earnings per share guidance midpoint and narrowed the range to $5.50 to $5.55, while expecting full-year comparable sales growth of approximately 6.0%. Abbott also highlighted that the company received several new product approvals this quarter, including U.S. FDA approval for its Libre Duo glucose-ketone dual-function bio-wearable sensor and CE marking for the Amulet 360 left atrial appendage occluder.
Robert B. Ford, Chairman and CEO of Abbott, said: "Abbott's strong third-quarter performance reflects balanced growth across our product portfolio. With strong performance across multiple business segments and a robust pipeline of innovative products, we are well positioned to achieve sustainable growth over the coming years."
CME Group Inc. (Nasdaq: CME) reported third-quarter revenue of $1.7 billion, operating profit of $1.1 billion, net profit of $1 billion, and diluted earnings per share of $2.89. On an adjusted basis, operating profit was $1.2 billion, net profit was $1.1 billion, and diluted earnings per share were $3.02.
Average daily trading volume rose to a record 29.4 million contracts in the third quarter, with non-U.S. regions reaching a third-quarter high of 9 million contracts per day. Market data revenue reached a record $243 million, a 20% year-over-year increase. The company returned nearly $1 billion to shareholders this quarter, including $465 million in dividends and $524 million in stock repurchases.
Terry Duffy, Chairman and CEO of CME Group, said: "As uncertainty increased in the third quarter, clients turned to CME Group at unprecedented volumes to manage risk and seize opportunities. Volume growth in all six asset classes achieved double-digit increases, making the third quarter the second-highest revenue and adjusted net profit quarter in the company's history."
M/I Homes, Inc. (NYSE: MHO) M/I Homes reported third-quarter revenue of $1.1 billion, a 5% year-over-year decline; home deliveries decreased 2% to 2,241 units; and new contracts declined 2% to 1,861. Net income was $67 million, or diluted earnings per share of $2.56, compared to $107 million, or $3.92 per share, in the same period last year.
The gross profit margin was 20.9%, and 21.3% excluding inventory costs. Shareholders' equity reached a record $3.3 billion, with book value per share rising to a record $130. The company repurchased $50 million of common stock while maintaining a debt-to-capital ratio of 18% for residential development.
Chief Executive Officer and President Robert H. Schottenstein said, "Our third-quarter results reflect an increasingly challenging market environment, including rising mortgage rates, weakening demand, and heightened economic uncertainty. Nevertheless, we delivered a solid performance with pre-tax profits of $87 million, representing an 8% return rate."
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) delivered a C-130J-30 Super Hercules transport aircraft from its Marietta, Georgia facility to the U.S. Navy, marking the beginning of its conversion into the E-130J Phoenix II, the U.S. Navy’s next-generation TACAMO airborne nuclear command and control platform.
The aircraft will be transferred to mission systems integrator Northrop Grumman to complete the modifications. This delivery also reestablishes the historical connection between the Hercules series and the TACAMO mission, which was previously carried out by the EC-130Q variant from 1963 to 1993.
Trish Pagan, Vice President of Air Mobility and Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin, said: "This delivery marks a historic milestone for the U.S. Navy, Lockheed Martin, and the U.S. strategic communications network. It is designed to deliver the capabilities our joint forces need and to withstand any operational challenge."
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