Markets 8-Hour Briefing
×Public Markets
Last updated: October 26, 2026, 11:10 PM ET
Gold & Commodities
Gold wsj.com edged lower in Asian trade as investors weighed the possibility of a Federal Reserve rate hike later this year. Bullion nonetheless held near $4,000 bloomberg.com an ounce as traders prepared for the central bank's decision. Oil pulled back for a second day, retreating from a six-month high, while energy and utilities markets tracked oil futures wsj.com.
Asian Equities
Japanese stocks wsj.com rose 1.7%, led by chip-related shares, after Anthropic's IPO paperwork eased concerns about the AI sector. Indonesia's rupiah faces pressure, and Bank Indonesia may need more aggressive measures, including further rate increases, to defend the currency.
Brazil Markets
Brazilian assets crashed wsj.com after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's surprise election victory, with the main stock index falling to a two-month low. The Wall Street Journal's editorial board argued that markets did not vote wsj.com for Lula, as stocks, bonds and the currency all sold off. Brazil's Supreme Court also ordered Flávio Bolsonaro to surrender nytimes.com his passport in a money laundering inquiry.
U.S. Equities & Tech
U.S. stocks rose ahead of tech earnings wsj.com as Anthropic's IPO filing eased anxiety about a potential AI bubble. A tech rally extended to Asia bloomberg.com on the filing, while Microsoft offered buyouts ft.com to 60,000 staff as it spends up to $175bn on AI infrastructure. Door Dash is in advanced talks wsj.com to acquire Instacart in a deal valuing the rival at around $17bn.
Anthropic IPO
Anthropic unveiled its IPO prospectus ft.com, revealing rapid revenue growth alongside even faster spending and sizable losses. The company warned it may need bloomberg.com to seek more financing sooner than expected. Pacific Investment Management bought a $4 billion slice bloomberg.com of a massive SpaceX AI debt package, and a coalition of banks and Blackstone lined up $63 billion wsj.com in financing for Broadcom AI technology.
Corporate Earnings & Deals
Nucor beat estimates bloomberg.com as higher steel prices lifted results. Whirlpool plunged bloomberg.com after cutting its full-year outlook for the third time this year, with the appliance maker heading for a full-year loss wsj.com as costs mount. Universal Music Group has discussed going private bloomberg.com with buyout firms, and Ben & Jerry's founders have explored a deal wsj.com with a KKR executive. QTS, a Blackstone-backed data-center operator, is seeking $800 million bloomberg.com in private placement debt.
Bonds & Credit
U.S. high-grade bond sales hit an annual record bloomberg.com on Monday as AI spending drove issuance.
Coming Up
The Federal Reserve's rate decision is imminent bloomberg.com, with traders weighing the chance of a hike. Tech earnings are due wsj.com in the days ahead.
Private Equity
Last updated: October 26, 2026, 11:10 PM ET
Private Markets
Anthropic has filed its S-1 news.crunchbase.com ahead of what could become the largest IPO on record, laying out its revenue, losses and risk factors for public investors.
Coming Up
The offering's pricing and trading debut will follow the SEC review news.crunchbase.com of the filing.
Sector Investment
Last updated: October 26, 2026, 11:10 PM ET
Private Markets
Liberty Mutual Investments has added three infrastructure credit partnerships infrastructureinvestor.com, signaling a deliberate push into private infrastructure lending. The insurer describes its approach as flexible, positioning it as a non-traditional limited partner in a market where large commitments are increasingly shaping deal flow.