📉 Stock Market Recap: October 6–10, 2025

From AI optimism to trade war worries—here’s what moved the markets this week.

🔔 A Week That Started Strong… and Ended with a Thud

The stock market had a real rollercoaster week from October 6 to October 10, 2025. What began with tech-fueled optimism—thanks to big moves in AI—ended in a wave of selling triggered by renewed trade tensions between the U.S. and China.

Here’s your quick, no-jargon breakdown of what happened and why it matters.

📊 Market Performance at a Glance

  • S&P 500: –1.54%

  • Dow Jones Industrial Average: –2.25%

  • Nasdaq Composite: –1.65%

After notching new highs on Monday, all three major U.S. indexes posted weekly losses. Energy and materials were the biggest drags, while utilities were one of the few bright spots.

🚀 Monday Momentum: AMD & AI Take the Lead

The week kicked off strong:

  • S&P 500 closed up ~0.4%

  • Nasdaq gained ~0.7%

  • AMD shares popped after news of a major AI chip supply deal with OpenAI

That announcement reignited enthusiasm in the semiconductor sector and gave tech stocks a nice lift. But while the Nasdaq soared, the Dow lagged, weighed down by industrials and consumer names.

🤔 Midweek: Calm Before the Storm

From Tuesday to Thursday, markets stayed relatively quiet:

  • The ongoing U.S. government shutdown delayed key economic data like jobs and inflation reports.

  • With little new info to go on, investors were cautious.

  • Overseas, political volatility in Japan and France added some background noise.

  • Meanwhile, gold surged toward $4,000/oz and oil prices declined on weak demand expectations.

The result? A holding pattern—with investors waiting for clarity that never really came.

💥 Friday Sell-Off: Trade War Fears Return

Just when the week seemed like it might end quietly, Friday brought the heat.

Markets tanked after President Trump threatened 100% tariffs on all Chinese imports. This was a response to China’s move to restrict exports of rare earth materials critical to tech and defense industries.

  • S&P 500: down ~2.7% (worst day since April)

  • Dow: down ~1.9%

  • Nasdaq: down ~3.6%

The dramatic sell-off erased most of the week’s gains and rattled investor confidence heading into the weekend.

🔎 Key Takeaways

  • Tech led early gains, especially semiconductors—but geopolitical tension flipped the script.

  • Trade worries came roaring back, reminding everyone that the global economy is still on edge.

  • Economic data silence due to the shutdown left markets more vulnerable to external headlines.

  • Gold rallied as investors sought safety, while oil struggled.

📅 Looking Ahead: Earnings Season & Macro Uncertainty

With earnings season around the corner and the shutdown continuing, the next couple of weeks could be just as volatile.

Investors will be watching:

  • Corporate earnings guidance

  • Fed commentary on rate cuts

  • Any sign of resolution (or escalation) in U.S.-China relations