From Our Point of View

Stocks pulled back after a strong October as investors grew cautious on AI valuations, mixed labor data, and fading consumer confidence. Here’s how the markets performed and what to watch as inflation data and key economic reports arrive next week.

Stocks extended their rally through Halloween as the S&P 500 posted its sixth straight monthly gain. A hawkish-leaning Fed rate cut, end of quantitative tightening, and a U.S.–China trade truce defined a volatile but resilient week across global markets.

In this Chief Investment Officer Briefing, Freedom Family Office examines the intersection of artificial intelligence, market valuations, and fiscal policy. Our CIO provides a data-grounded view on whether AI-related equities reflect lasting innovation or speculative excess, the role of gold and bitcoin as long-term hedges, and key indicators to watch as markets evolve. The piece reinforces our philosophy: stay intentional, stay diversified, and let evidence—not emotion—guide financial decisions.

U.S. stocks extended gains as investors welcomed upbeat earnings and easing trade tensions. Cooling inflation data reinforced expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut next week, while global markets advanced on strong corporate results and political developments in Asia and Europe.

Major U.S. indexes ended higher after a volatile week dominated by trade headlines, early bank earnings, and credit market concerns. Bonds rallied, gold surged, and investors turned cautious ahead of more Fed data and corporate results.