The Dow started strong this week, adding 515 points thanks to an outsized move from Apple (AAPL). The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also finished confidently higher, with all three major indexes a chip shot from record closes. An end to the government shutdown is also fueling investor optimism, as is cooling tariff tensions and earnings anticipation, all of which have sent the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) back below 20. 

GOLD PRICES RESUME THEIR WINNING WAYS

Oil prices continued to slump, as global supply-demand concerns weigh on black gold. December-dated West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude shed 0.7%, or 38 cents, to settle at $57.16 per barrel. 

Gold prices gained today, as safe-haven traders look ahead to inflation data and the Fed meeting. December-dated gold futures added 3.6% at $4,347.47 per ounce.

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