MarketBeat Week in Review – 10/19 - 10/23

Key Points

• A broadening market sell-off is being fueled by rising oil prices, with Brent crude near six-month highs amid Middle East tensions and inflation worries.
• Concerns over AI spending and infrastructure, including weakness in neocloud stocks like CoreWeave, are adding uncertainty ahead of the mid-term elections.
• The upcoming two weeks mark peak earnings season, and MarketBeat analysts covered reports from companies including Halliburton, Tesla, Apple, General Motors, and Meta Platforms.

The market sell-off continued, showing signs of spreading beyond the tech sector. One culprit was oil. Increasing tensions in the Middle East lifted Brent crude oil to a six-month high of around $116 a barrel. U.S. oil prices climbed back above the psychologically important $100-per-barrel mark. That adds to inflation concerns.

Concerns about AI are also a contributing factor. Neocloud stocks such as CoreWeave NASDAQ: CRWV have been among the hardest hit. Projections for massive capital expenditures from SpaceX NASDAQ: SPCX also raise concerns about returns on AI infrastructure investments. The upcoming midterm elections add another layer of uncertainty surrounding AI infrastructure development.

But is the selling overdone? That's the question that earnings will answer. The next two weeks mark the peak of earnings season. The MarketBeat analysts will keep investors on top of the reports that are moving the markets. Here are some of our most popular recent articles.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

Halliburton NYSE: HAL topped third-quarter estimates, and Thomas Hughes wrote that analysts and institutions are helping build a floor under the stock. He explained why the company is gaining traction ahead of a possible multiyear upcycle.

Pegasystems NASDAQ: PEGA missed in the third quarter, but Hughes argued its moat is still getting deeper. He explained the problem standing between AI and cash flow and where buybacks fit into the story.

Texas Instruments NASDAQ: TXN may be nearing an important moment on the chart. Hughes looked at whether the chipmaker is setting up for its next big breakout.

Articles by Sam Quirke

Tesla NASDAQ: TSLA finally revealed its long-awaited Roadster, but Sam Quirke wrote that the car itself may not be the real headline. He explained the two much bigger moves the reveal could be hinting at.

Apple NASDAQ: AAPL is now a $5 trillion company. Quirke asked whether AI can finally unlock its next leg of growth.

Articles by Chris Markoch

Renewable energy companies may get a lift from the midterm elections. But not every green energy stock depends on help from Washington. Chris Markoch highlighted three companies with growth stories that go far beyond policy.

Cologuard is working, so why isn’t Abbott Laboratories NYSE: ABT gaining ground? The stock dipped after earnings despite solid growth and a plan to spin off its nutrition business. Markoch explained what’s holding the shares back.

Drone stocks have burned plenty of investors as stock prices ran ahead of public- and private-sector funding. However, instead of assuming the trade is dead, Markoch looked at four companies that may be different.

Articles by Ryan Hasson

Bending Spoons NASDAQ: BSP surged after Berkshire Hathaway added to its stake in the little-known company. Ryan Hasson asked whether investors should chase the rally.

General Motors NYSE: GM beat estimates and added a $20 billion buyback, yet the stock fell 7%. Hasson explained what the buyback can’t fix.

Alphabet's NASDAQ: GOOGL breakout is facing a real test as AI stocks sell off. Hasson explained why support near $340 is the level to watch.

Articles by Leo Miller

Broadcom's NASDAQ: AVGO CEO forecasts years of AI demand ahead. But he also warned of a bigger threat to the boom. Leo Miller explained why capital—not demand—could become the limiting factor.

A SpaceX spectrum deal hit telecom stocks, but Miller said one group could come out ahead. He explained why tower REITs may have a new opportunity.

Meta Platforms NASDAQ: META bounced back with a third-quarter beat, and its Muse agent is gaining traction. But Miller wrote that the bigger test comes in 2027.

Articles by Nathan Reiff

IonQ NYSE: IONQ is making a bold bet on cybersecurity with its Elisity deal. Nathan Reiff explained why shareholders could end up paying the price.

Texas has paused new data center hookups while it reviews power demand. Reiff looked at two power stocks waiting on the verdict.

AI spending is surging, but it won’t surge forever. Reiff identified which stocks could still win if it slows down.

Articles by Dan Schmidt

Homebuilder stocks are moving in opposite directions. Dan Schmidt explained why the K-shaped economy is splitting rate-resilient builders from rate-exposed ones.

Articles by Jeffrey Neal Johnson

Aurora Cannabis NASDAQ: ACB rejected a higher bid from Curaleaf OTCMKTS: CURLF. But Jeffrey Neal Johnson wrote that the takeover fight isn’t over.

Executives at Applied Digital NASDAQ: APLD just bought $6.7 million in stock as the company’s backlog hit $36 billion. Johnson explained what the insider buying could signal.

Centrus Energy NYSE: LEU is building a nuclear fuel powerhouse, but its stock is struggling. Johnson explained why the share price hasn’t kept up with the business.

Articles by Peter Frank

Flywire NASDAQ: FLYW is growing fast, but its third-quarter report will be a test. Peter Frank asked whether the stock is already too expensive.

Okeanis Eco Tankers NYSE: ECO is posting record profits and paying a record dividend. But Frank warned that those gains may not outlast the Hormuz crisis.