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U.S. stocks finished mixed on Thursday, October 8, 2026: the S&P 500 fell 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.3%, while the Dow and Russell 2000 edged higher. Oil rose and several major AI-linked technology stocks slid, weighing on the headline indexes despite gains in about two-thirds of S&P 500 stocks.

How did the stock market do on October 8?

At the close, the Nasdaq had the largest decline among the four major U.S. indexes tracked by The Associated Press. The Dow and Russell 2000 were modestly higher.

Index October 8 close Daily change
S&P 500 7,765.36 Down 36.41 points, or 0.5%
Dow Jones Industrial Average 51,231.64 Up 51.77 points, or 0.1%
Nasdaq Composite 27,193.34 Down 345.35 points, or 1.3%
Russell 2000 2,794.13 Up 0.92 points, less than 0.1%

The S&P 500 recorded a second consecutive loss after reaching an all-time high. These are closing figures for October 8, not a live market update.

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Why did the indexes move in different directions?

The declines in large technology companies pulled down the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, even as many individual stocks advanced. The Associated Press reported that roughly two out of every three S&P 500 stocks rose during the session. That difference reflects how a capitalization-weighted index can fall when its largest companies drop, even if more of its constituents rise.

Which AI-linked stocks fell the most?

Several prominent semiconductor and AI-related names declined, according to AP:

Company Daily change Reported context
Nvidia Down 2.9% AP identified it as the largest drag on the S&P 500, whose largest company it was by market value.
Broadcom Down 4.3% Semiconductor and technology weakness contributed to pressure on the indexes.
Micron Technology Down 4.8% Among the named semiconductor decliners.
TSMC, U.S.-traded shares Down 3% The decline came despite September growth that, AP reported, suggested quarterly revenue could exceed analyst expectations.

AP framed the broader pressure as a question of whether AI-related companies can deliver growth commensurate with their strong share-price gains in recent years. That is an interpretation of the market reaction, not proof that the companies’ growth prospects have changed.

Rank #2

What happened to oil prices?

Brent crude rose 4.1% to $104.28 a barrel, after reaching nearly $106 in the morning, AP reported. The outlet placed the move in the context of uncertainty over when the Iran conflict would allow the global energy industry to return to normal. It also noted that Brent had traded between $96 and nearly $110 over the preceding month. Those figures describe the reported market context; they do not establish a precise causal effect from the conflict.

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Did Treasury yields rise or fall?

They moved in both directions during the session. AP reported that the 10-year Treasury yield was 5.28% late Wednesday, rose to 5.35% early Thursday, and later fell to 5.23%. Reuters, in a morning report carried by Fidelity, put the 10-year yield at 5.29%, near its highest level since 2002. The two figures reflect different reporting times, rather than a single end-of-day reading.

The 30-year Treasury yield also fell, to 5.60% from 5.73%, after the U.S. Treasury sold $22 billion in 30-year bonds at a high yield below 5.62%, AP reported. Wells Fargo Investment Institute global investment strategy analyst Tony Miano said, “Higher U.S. Treasury yields are starting to create their own demand, buyers are showing up for the right price.”

What the October 8 market session shows

  • The broad indexes did not all fall: the S&P 500 and Nasdaq declined, while the Dow and Russell 2000 rose slightly.
  • Technology weakness outweighed the positive advance among most S&P 500 stocks in the capitalization-weighted index results.
  • Brent crude rose, while Treasury yields reversed their early-session moves and finished at lower reported levels.

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