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Daily Wrap-Up: AI Stocks Rally Ahead of Tesla, Meta Earnings | Oct 21, 2026

By October 21st, 2026Daily Market Wrap-Up2 min read

The S&P 500 rose 0.58% to 7,757.17 on Wednesday, extending its rebound to a third consecutive session as strength in tech stocks and upbeat corporate results lifted investor sentiment.

December S&P 500 futures traded as high as 7,796.75 and as low as 7,752.00. The session concluded above the day’s midpoint of 7,774.38 at 7,793.50, gaining 30.50 handles from the prior close of 7,763.00.

Tech stocks helped lead the advance after SpaceX reported its first quarterly profit and a 161% year-over-year increase in revenue. Super Micro Computer Inc (NASDAQ: SMCI) also rallied after raising its fiscal first-quarter revenue outlook, supporting renewed confidence in AI-related spending.

Investors also looked ahead to quarterly results from Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: META), both reporting mixed results, with Tesla missing revenue expectations but beating EPS estimates, while Meta beat revenue.

On Thursday, market participants can look forward to weekly initial jobless claims, the Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index and the Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Survey. Investors will continue to assess Tesla’s and Meta’s after-hours results for signals on corporate earnings and AI spending.

Among the top components of the index, Tesla emerged as the biggest gainer. The AI and electric vehicle company advanced by $12.76, or 3.41%, to close at $386.47 for the day.

That performance was nearly six times stronger than the cash index’s advance of 0.58%.

Conversely, the biggest loser ended up being Alphabet Inc. Class C (NASDAQ: GOOG). For the day, the tech giant declined by $5.45, or 1.62%, to close at $330.95.

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