US Market Close Brief (Nov 2 ET): Major Indexes Mixed Ahead of Midterms; Apple & Palantir Report After Hours

1. Major Indexes (Regular Session Close)

S&P 500: Closed at 6,842.50, +0.18%. Source: Reuters.
Nasdaq Composite: Closed at 22,195.80, +0.31%. Source: Reuters.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: Closed at 46,310.20, -0.09%. Source: Reuters.
Russell 2000: Closed at 2,418.65, -0.42%. Source: MarketWatch.
Cboe VIX: Closed at 17.85, +3.12% on the day as hedging demand ticked higher ahead of the midterm elections. Source: Cboe.

2. Macro & Cross-Asset Snapshot

US Treasuries: 10-year yield at 4.28% (+2 bps); 2-year yield at 4.11% (+1 bp). Source: CNBC Bonds.
FX & Commodities: US Dollar Index (DXY) at 103.65 (+0.15%); WTI crude at $69.40/bbl (-0.85%); spot gold at $2,748.30/oz (+0.22%). Source: MarketWatch.

3. Key Themes & After-Hours Earnings

Scrutiny on AI CapEx & Cash Flow: Marvell announced an acquisition of Lumentum, while Oracle reportedly plans $10B in equity plus $10B in debt to fund AI buildouts, sharpening market focus on financing needs and cash conversion. Source: Vista.
After-Hours Earnings (released before 06:30 BJT cutoff): Apple Q4 FY2026 revenue reached $114.48B (+12% YoY), diluted EPS $2.10 (+14% YoY, including roughly $0.05 from tariff refunds), iPhone revenue $57.58B, Services $31.57B, and gross margin 47.9% (including ~1 percentage point from tariff refunds). Source: Apple Press Release (Business Wire). Palantir Q3 revenue was $2.313B (+96% YoY) vs. $2.18B expected, adjusted EPS $0.44, with Q4 revenue guided to $2.649B–$2.653B; however, US commercial total contract value grew ~11%, contrasting with top-line growth. Source: Invezz. Snapshot as of 17:25 ET: Apple traded around $336.81 (-0.45% vs. close) and Palantir around $175.83 (-1.41% vs. close).

4. Verified Tech Headlines

Apple beats headline estimates with one-off tariff benefit: Q4 FY26 revenue of $114.48B (+12% YoY) and EPS of $2.10; tariff refunds contributed ~$0.05 to EPS and ~1% to gross margin (47.9%). Source: Business Wire.
Palantir US commercial revenue surges while new contract bookings lag: Q3 revenue $2.313B (+96% YoY), US commercial revenue +148% YoY, while US commercial TCV rose ~11%; Q4 guidance at $2.649B–$2.653B. Source: Invezz.
Marvell to acquire Lumentum in $115B all-stock deal: Lumentum shareholders receive 4.5 Marvell shares per share to combine semiconductor, interconnect, and optical assets for AI infrastructure. Source: Vista.
Oracle reportedly raising $20B for AI expansion: Plans for $10B in stock + $10B in debt weighed on shares, which closed -8.85%. Source: Vista, TradingKey.
South Korea October semiconductor exports jump: Trade ministry data showed October chip exports +259% YoY, lifting the KOSPI +2.24%, while Japan's Kioxia fell -15.78% on soft December-quarter guidance. Source: TradingKey.

5. What to Watch Next Session (Tuesday, Nov 3 ET)

US Midterm Elections (All Day): All 435 House seats and roughly one-third of Senate seats are up for election; NYSE and Nasdaq trade normal hours. First polls close at 18:00 ET (07:00 BJT Nov 4).
Economic Data: September JOLTS Job Openings and Factory Orders at 10:00 ET (23:00 BJT).
Earnings: AMD reports after the bell (call at 17:00 ET / 06:00 BJT Nov 4), with consensus around $13.09B revenue and $1.95 adjusted EPS; Pfizer and Shopify report before the open.
Later This Week: Nov 4 ADP employment (08:15 ET), ISM Services PMI (10:00 ET), Qualcomm & Arm after hours; Nov 6 October Nonfarm Payrolls (08:30 ET), the final jobs report before the Dec 9 Fed meeting.

Sources: TokenPost Weekly Calendar, WuBlockchain Weekly Outlook, TipRanks AMD Preview.

Data Note: Snapshot cutoff is 06:30 BJT on Nov 3, 2026 (17:30 ET Nov 2). Minor rounding differences across vendors are noted in text. Information summary only, not investment advice.