Vancouver, British Columbia, October 21, 2026 / PRNewswire / -- Stock Preachers Market Commentary:Entering the third trading day of the week, growth stocks and small-cap stocks are leading the market. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 1.04% on the day, with a cumulative increase of 2.14% for the week, reaching 26,700.62 points; the Russell 2000 Index rose 0.44%, expanding its weekly gain to 2.36%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 Index also contributed to the upward trend, with both showing increases of over 1.2% this week. The performance of companies in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, exchanges, and residential construction provided investors with new data to distinguish between leaders and laggards. Some of the active companies with recent developments in the market this week include: RTX ( NYSE : RTX ), Abbott Abbott ( NYSE : ABT ), CME Group Inc ( Nasdaq : CME ), M/ I Homes , Inc ( NYSE : MHO ), and Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin ( NYSE : LMT ).

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 52,637.78 points, up 0.27% for the day and 1.22% for the week. The trading range for the week was between a low of 51,863.80 points and a high of 52,711.93 points. The S&P 500 Index rose 0.5% to 7,751.45 points, also up 1.2% for the week, with a RSI14 of 53.1; although the Nasdaq Index had a larger increase during the week, its RSI14 was still 48.6. The Russell 2000 Index had a RSI14 of 44.9, which is the lowest among the major indices, but it had the best percentage increase for the week.

As the stock market rebounded, volatility eased somewhat. VIX closed at 16.72, down 0.59 points on the day and 1.72 points this week; the Nasdaq 100 Volatility Index fell to 24.65, down 2.48 points this week. Both indicators are close to their respective intraweek lows of 16.51 and 23.92, indicating that as the stock market rises, the demand for hedging has cooled down.

Commodities, on the other hand, showed different trends. WTI Crude oil fell by 4.64% on the day and by 6.36% this week, to $97.07 per barrel; natural gas fell by 4.79% on the day and by 7.75% this week, to $2.82 per million British thermal units. Gold rose slightly by 0.18%, to $4,150.10 per ounce; silver rose by 1.18% this week, to $57.65; the yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds remained at around 5.11%, but increased by 1 basis point this week.

The complete report lists the key support and resistance levels for each index, and also provides a broader overview of corporate developments this week as well as market sentiment as we approach the last few trading days of the week.

The following are other industry developments and events in the market this week:

RTX ( NYSE : RTX ) RTX announced third-quarter sales of $25 billion, a year-on-year increase of 11%, and an organic growth of 12%. Adjusted earnings per share were $2.26, a year-on-year increase of 33%, which includes $0.25 in IEEPA cost recovery benefits. The company has a record backlog of orders amounting to $340 billion, of which $176 billion is from its commercial business and $164 billion from its defense business.

The company has raised its outlook for the whole of 2026; it now expects adjusted sales to range from $97 billion to $97.5 billion, up from the previous estimate of $95 billion to $96 billion. The adjusted earnings per share are expected to be between $7.65 and $7.75, higher than the previous range of $7.10 to $7.25. The guidance for free cash flow has also been increased from $8.5 billion to $8.75 billion to $9 billion to $9.2 billion.

RTX, Chairman and CEO, Chris Calio stated: "Our strong execution and operational focus in the third quarter have enabled RTX to achieve double-digit organic sales growth in both commercial aerospace and defense businesses. The demand for our products remains strong, with new commercial and defense orders exceeding $81 billion, pushing backlog orders to a record $340 billion."

Abbott Abbott ( NYSE : ABT ) Abbott announced a 14.5% increase in sales for the third quarter, with comparable sales growing by 7.0%. The diluted earnings per share calculated using GAAP were $0.53; after excluding certain items, the adjusted diluted earnings per share were $1.42.

The company reiterated its guidance for the adjusted diluted earnings per share for the full year of 2026, narrowing the range to $5.50 to $5.55, while also anticipating a year-over-year comparable sales growth of about 6.0%. Abbott also emphasized that the company received multiple new product approvals this quarter, including its Libre Duo glucose-ketone body dual-function bi wearable sensor, which was approved by the US FDA, as well as the Amulet 360 left atrial appendage occluder, which obtained CE certification.

Abbott Chairman and CEO Robert B stated: “Abbott’s strong performance in the third quarter reflects the balanced growth of our product portfolio. With the strong performance of multiple business segments and a robust line of innovative products, we have a solid foundation to achieve sustainable growth in the coming years.”

CME Group Inc. ( Nasdaq : CME ) CME Group reported that in the third quarter, revenue was $1.7 billion, operating profit was $1.1 billion, net profit was $1 billion, and earnings per share after dilution were $2.89. On an adjusted basis, operating profit was $1.2 billion, net profit was $1.1 billion, and earnings per share after dilution were $3.02.

The average daily trading volume rose to a record 29.4 million contracts in the third quarter, with the average daily trading volume outside of the United States reaching a high of 9 million contracts in the same quarter. Market data revenue reached a record $243 million, a year-on-year increase of 20%. The company returned nearly $1 billion to shareholders this quarter, including $465 million in dividends and $524 million in share repurchases.

CME, the Chairman and CEO of the Group, Terry Duffy stated: "As uncertainties increased in the third quarter, customers turned to the CME Group on an unprecedented scale to manage risks and seize opportunities. Transaction volumes in all six asset classes achieved double-digit growth, making the third quarter the second-highest quarter in the company's history in terms of revenue and adjusted net profit."

M/ I Homes , Inc. ( NYSE : MHO ) M/ I Homes reported third-quarter revenue of $1.1 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 5%; the number of residences delivered fell by 2% to 2,241 units; new contracts signed decreased by 2% to 1,861 units. Net profit was $67 million, equivalent to $2.56 per diluted share; in the same period last year, it was $107 million, equivalent to $3.92 per share.

Gross margin was 20.9%, which would be 21.3% if inventory costs were not taken into account. Shareholder equity reached a record $3.3 billion, and the book value per share rose to a record $130. While maintaining a debt-to-equity ratio of 18% for residential development, the company repurchased $50 million in common stock.

CEO and President Robert H. Schottenstein stated: "Our third-quarter results reflect an increasingly challenging market environment, including rising mortgage rates, weakening demand, and increased economic uncertainty. Nevertheless, we still achieved quite solid results, with pre-tax profits of $87 million, which corresponds to a return rate of 8%."

Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin ( NYSE : LMT ) Lockheed Martin delivered a C-130J-30 Super Hercules transport aircraft to the U.S. Navy at its Marietta plant in Georgia, marking the beginning of its modification into a E-130J Phoenix II, which will serve as the U.S. Navy's next-generation TACAMO airborne nuclear command and control platform.

The aircraft will be handed over to the mission system integrator Northrop Grumman for modification. This delivery also reestablishes the historical connection between the “Titan” series and the TACAMO mission, as the EC-130Q model had previously carried out this mission from 1963 to 1993.

Lockheed Martin's Vice President for Aeronautical Mobility and Maritime Missions, Trish Pagan, stated: "This delivery marks a historic milestone for the U.S. Navy, Lockheed Martin, and the U.S. Strategic Communications Network. It is designed to provide the capabilities needed by our joint forces and is capable of withstanding any operational challenges."

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