The PrimeFlow Desk · Saturday, October 31, 2026 · Week in Review
The Nasdaq lost 2% in the week of October 26-30, 2026, and closed Friday 7.8% below its October 6 record after Intel fell 28.6% in a day. Smaller companies went the other way: the Russell 2000 finished the week up 1.3%.
Where the market closed for the week of October 26-30, 2026
- S&P 500: 7,580.07, down 0.57% for the week
- Dow: 51,770.31, down 0.85%
- Nasdaq: 25,437.00, down 2.00%
- Small caps (Russell 2000): 2,811.84, up 1.29%
- 10-year Treasury yield: 4.94%, down 0.06 point
- Brent crude oil (December): $117.64 a barrel, up 0.79%
Big tech carried the week’s losses while smaller companies gained.
Big tech felt it first
On Thursday I said that if the economy and prices both ran hot, the big tech names would feel it first. Growth beat its forecast and prices landed right on it. Big tech felt it anyway.
On Friday Intel fell 28.6% after warning that its sales would come in short, and the Nasdaq lost 2.9%. Amazon slipped 1.4% after its own results.
Weeks with a one-day drop this sharp are when a plan for managing risk earns its keep, before the next one arrives.
On Monday I wanted Brent oil back under $110 before I believed the pressure on prices was easing. It closed the week at $117.64. On Wednesday I said the two Fed dissents pointed to a hike next. Nothing since has changed that.
One thing went the other way. I expected the 10-year Treasury yield, the rate that steers mortgage costs, to push higher. It slipped to 4.94%.
My view: next week I’m watching whether smaller companies keep rising while the giants slip. If they do, money is changing seats inside the market, not heading for the exit.
What it means for you
If most of your savings sit in an S&P 500 or Nasdaq fund, a handful of giant companies decide weeks like this one. Know how much of your account rides on them.
Much of a week like this is settled in the first stretch after 9:30. The 40 Minutes That Matter is what our desk teaches every new trader first: a workshop and two one-page cheat sheets, The Level Map and The Session Clock. It normally sells for $49. You can have it for one payment of $7.
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Also on the Desk
Pay fell behind prices. Employers’ labor costs rose 0.8% in the third quarter, the Labor Department said Friday. Wages are up 3.1% from a year ago, while prices rose 3.6%.
Gold slid under $3,900. It closed Friday at $3,898.90, down 3.3% on the day.
Economic calendar for next week, November 2-6, 2026 (Eastern time)
- Sunday, November 1, 2:00 AM: clocks fall back an hour. The open stays 9:30 Eastern.
- Tuesday, November 3, 10:00 AM: September job openings, on Election Day. Markets are open.
- Friday, November 6, 8:30 AM: the October jobs report
From the trade log
Thirteen alerts closed this week. Twelve closed higher, from +4.01% to +6.05%, and one closed flat.
As of 31 October 2026, the public log stands at 508 closed alerts: 487 wins, 17 losses and 4 breakeven. That’s a 95.9% win rate. See every closed alert, wins and losses, on the log →
Good Trading,
Christopher
Editor, PrimeFlow Trades
PrimeFlow Trades publishes market commentary and trade alerts for education. Nothing here is personal investment advice. Trading stocks involves risk, including the loss of money. Past results, including those on our public trade log, do not guarantee future results.
