Stock Market Summary – October 23, 2025

The Wall Street markets were engrossed in anticipation for the Friday release of September’s consumer price index report. Experts predicted a 0.4% monthly increase to the all-items index, similar to the previous month, making the 12-month inflation rate 3.1%, slightly higher than August’s rate. This inflation report is crucial ahead of the Fed’s policy meeting concluding on Wednesday.

Quantum computing stocks, including IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum, soared considering the Trump administration’s potential equity stakes, even after it denied current negotiations.

Shares of Chinese toymaker Pop Mart, renown for the popular Labubu dolls, fell by 9%, despite third-quarter revenue tripling YoY due to sales surges ranging between 1,265%–1,270% in the U.S. Since August, Pop Mart’s shares have slid 30%, but remain up 159% this year.

Intel’s shares have risen about 28% in the past month, increasing YTD gains to nearly 87%. This surge followed the Trump administration’s decision to purchase a 10% stake in Intel, resulting in a sizable $8.9 billion investment. However, analysts predict around a 25% potential downside for Intel’s stock.

President Trump dialed back plans to “surge” San Francisco following calls by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

Trump may further sanction Russia’s oil sector, with an expected global crude surplus next year, giving the U.S. room to escalate these sanctions while mitigating a price shock to American drivers. Notably, sanctions were declared against Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia’s two largest oil exporters.

Meanwhile, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison continues to show interest in purchasing Warner Bros. Discovery, even after having his first three offers rejected. Those aligned with Ellison argue that he’s the only buyer likely to satisfy Trump administration regulators.