Asia Down, Europe Gains; Crude Oil Steady As Investors Eye Middle East Developments - Global Markets Today While Us Slept

On Wednesday, October 16th, U.S. markets closed higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting a record high, closing above 43,000 points. Gains in small-caps and financial stocks, led by strong earnings from Morgan Stanley, offset declines in mega-cap tech shares. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also rose.

According to economic data, U.S. export prices declined by 0.7% month-over-month, surpassing market expectations of a drop of 0.4%, and import prices fell by 0.4% compared to the previous month.

Most sectors on the S&P 500 ended higher, with utilities, financials, and real estate stocks leading the gains, while communication services and consumer staples stocks declined.       

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.79% and closed at 43,077.70. The S&P ...