Even though stocks had their best month in four years,  Wall Street ended the month of October on a down note finishing lower on all three indices. Chris Gaffney, president of world markets at EverBank told CNBC:

“There’s just a whole lot of uncertainty in markets right now. We’ve had “a very good month following a very poor quarter in the third quarter. I think it’s some volatility and questioning.”

According to FoxBusiness.com:

Traders in the U.S. were still holding on to action from global central banks as they tried to figure out just exactly what it meant for interest rates in America. On Wednesday the Federal Reserve opted to keep rates steady, but altered language in its policy statement that left the door slightly more ajar for a rate hike at its December meeting. Meanwhile, on Friday, the Bank of Japan followed the path of inaction, deciding to hold off on more stimulus while also lowering its economic-growth forecast from 1.7% to 1.2% for the fiscal year ending March. In addition, the Japanese central bank pushed back the timeframe in which it hopes to achieve a 2% inflation target from the middle of 2016 out as far as early 2017. Consumer prices in the nation, excluding food and energy, were said to have risen 0.9% in September from 0.8% the month prior.

Here are the final numbers from Thursday, 10/30/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,663.54 (-92.26/ -0.52%)

NASDAQ: 5,053.75 (-20.53/ -0.40%)

S&P 500: 2,079.36 (-10.05 / -0.48%)

It was a down day on Wall St. as stocks closed lower across the board.  Investors continued to consider the possibility of a December rate hike and looked closely at 3rd quarter earnings.

According to CNBC:

“Should the economy show signs of improvement and global conditions do not worsen, the Federal Reserve has indicated it will raise interest rates soon. and the buzz around Wall Street is that the Federal Open Market Committee (FMOC) is leaning strongly toward hiking in December. However,what may transpire is that markets have just been treated to the latest sleight of hand by a central bank waiting for an ideal time to hike that may never come.”

Watch CNBC report below as to why the market is misreading the Fed statement re: raising interest rates.

Here are the final numbers from Thursday, 10/29/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,756.00 (-23.52/ -0.13%)

NASDAQ: 5,074.27 (-21.42/ -0.42%)

S&P 500: 2,089.41 (-0.94 / -0.04%)

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) concluded its two day series of meetings with a decision not to raise interest rates. Wall Street’s major averages extended gains as the close approached, more than recovering from a brief dip into negative territory after the release of the Fed statement. The FMOC voted to maintain its zero interest rate policy, and cited weakness in exports and soft inflation as reasons to pass on enacting its first interest hike in more than nine years. There were very few clues given in the Fed’s announcement as to when they would raise interest rates.

Watch CNBC’s Steve Liesman with more below:

The FMOC last raised the funds rate June 29th, 2006, then began cutting on Sept. 18th, 2007, as the global financial crisis began to get worse. On Dec. 16th, 2008, the Federal Open Markets Committee then took the rate down to a 0-0.25 percent range where it has stayed since.

Here are the final numbers from Wednesday, 10/28/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17, 778.78 (+197.35/ +1.12%)

NASDAQ: 5,095.69 (+65.54 / +1.30%)

S&P 500: 2,090.31(+24.43 / +1.18%)

Stocks finished lower after several U.S. companies delivered disappointing results and forecasts. UPS was way down after the package delivery company reported revenue that fell short of analysts’ estimates. Engine maker Cummins fell 8 percent after the company’s earnings fell far short of forecasts. The company also cut its revenue estimate for the year and said it would eliminate 2,000 jobs.

It was also reveled today that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is conducting an investigation into IBM’s accounting treatment of certain transactions. Shares of IBM were down about 3 percent following the news. The SEC is looking into IBM’s revenue recognition in some transactions that took place in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world.

Meantime, the latest CNBC Fed Survey shows that the chance of recession over the next year vaulted to a two-year high as Wall Street continues to downgrade the outlook for U.S. economic growth and delay the date for the first Fed rate hike.
See more from CNBC below.

Here are the final numbers from Tuesday, 10/27/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,581.43 (-41.62/ -0.24%)

NASDAQ: 5,030.15 (-04.56/ -0.09%)

S&P 500: 2,065.89 (-5.29 / -0.26%)

Wall Street entered the new session today riding a 4 week winning streak but then came the news that there’s not much support for a bullish view of U.S. growth prospects in the fourth quarter of the year. Four-fifths of the experts surveyed by the National Association of Business Economics expect fourth-quarter growth of at least 2 percent. But only 7 percent predicted growth will top 3 percent, down from 16 percent in July. Apple helped drag down the Dow Jones industrial average. Apple fell more than 3 percent after its supplier Dialog Semiconductor plunged 20 percent after reporting preliminary earnings that missed expectations. Apple’s 4th quarter results come out tomorrow.

Brian Blair, principal and co-founder of Grays Peak Capital told CNBC:

“Today’s drop suggests Apple’s fourth-quarter units may not be as strong as many expect”

There was also a report in CNBC that-

“Over the past year investors have lost $20 billion dollars in publicly traded drilling partnerships or $8 of every $10 they had invested, according to a report prepared by FactSet for The Associated Press. That figure does not include losses from $37 billion of bonds sold by the partnerships in the five years since 2010, many down by half in last 12 months, or losses from bets on private partnerships that don’t trade publicly and are difficult to track.”

Here are the final numbers for Monday, 10/26/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17, 623.05 (-23.65/ -0.13%)

NASDAQ: 5.034.70 (+2.84 / +0.06%)

S&P 500: 2,071.18 (-3.97 / -0.19%)

Markets ended the week on a high note with gains across the board. The NASDAQ rose 2.5% finishing at a two month high as investors reacted to more quarterly earning reports including Microsoft’s which beat analysts’ expectations. Microsoft stock closed up almost 11 percent-its best close since February 2000. China’s Central Bank also cut interest rates.

Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital told CNBC:

“The Chinese Central Bank’s rate cut is a very short-term positive, and while the central bank is stimulating the Chinese economy by cutting rates, the move could also signal China’s economy is weaker than people think.”

More from CNBC on China below.

Here are the final numbers for Friday, 10/23/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,669.42 (+180.26/ +1.03%)

NASDAQ: 5,031.86 (+111.81 / +2.27%)

S&P 500: 2,075.15 (+22.64 / +1.10%)

Wall St. had a positive day Thursday as all three indices rose on a fresh batch of quarterly earnings reports and comments from the President of the European Central Bank that ECB rates would remain unchanged.

ECB President Mario Draghi said in a news conference:

“Short-term inflation expectations have declined but more medium- to long-term inflation expectations, after some decline following our last meeting have now recovered and are basically unchanged since then.”

Global markets have done well in October with the S&P up 6.9% for the month.  Why?  Bob Pisani– Editor of CNBC’s “On-Air Stocks” says there are 3 reasons.

1.) The most important reason- Lower probability of Fed interest rate hike.

2.) European, Chinese & Japanese banks are calm for the time being, with the belief that the People’s Bank of China would enact more stimulus.

3.) Revenue declines because of the strong dollar.

Read more here.

Here are the final numbers for Thursday, 10/22/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17, 489.16 (+320.55/ +1.87%)

NASDAQ: 4,920.05 (+79.93/ +1.65%)

S&P 500: 2,052.51 (+33.57 / +1.66%)

The Tuesday trading day was highlighted by the end of a 3 day winning streak for the Dow and a continued stock slide by IBM. Perennially one of the most respected and successful corporations in the world IBM’s stock plunged to almost a five-year low after the company cut its profit forecast, stressing the difficulty of trying to reinvent itself as leader in cloud computing and data analytics. The shares plummeted 5.5 percent. Earlier in the day IBM stock fell to $140.50, its lowest intra-day price since late October 2010. Meantime, a new report by the Social Security Administration shows that the richest Americans are getting richer. Some 134 Americans took in more than $50 million last year, and the number of Americans making between $20 million and $50 million also jumped, hitting 776 in 2014.  Watch CNBC’s report below.

Here are the final numbers from Tuesday, 10/20/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17, 217.11 (-13.43/ -0.08%)

NASDAQ: 4,880.97 (-24.50/ -0.50%)

S&P 500: 2,030.77 (-2.89/ -0.14%)

Markets opened the new trading week with an up and down ride on Wall Street before closing in the positive. The slight gains came despite the fall in energy stock and oil as another batch of big corporations prepare to release quarterly earnings reports this week. Over a 5th of S&P 500 companies are scheduled release quarterly results. Oil finished down 2.9%, at $45.89 a barrel, down $1.19 over more concerns regarding China’s slowing economy and indications that a nuclear deal (that waves sanctions on oil from Iran) will be initiated this year. Perhaps compounding today’s mixed performance are recent Labor Department figures that show the employment market is tightening, with both fewer job openings and workers willing to leave their current jobs for better positions elsewhere. The Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey, released last week, adds to signs that the market is peaking and hopes for solid job reports in the future may be waning.

Here are the final numbers from Monday, 10/19/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17, 230.54 (+14.57/ +0.08%)

NASDAQ: 4,905.47 (+18.78/ +0.38%)

S&P 500: 2,033.66 (+0.55/ +0.03%)