SpaceX shares climbed in after-hours trading following a blockbuster third-quarter earnings report that showed revenue jumping 161% year over year to $14.58 billion, comfortably beating analyst expectations of $12.72 billion, according to LSEG data. The company's artificial intelligence division, now branded Super Intelligence, generated $7.6 billion in revenue—an 830% surge—overtaking Starlink for the first time.
Net profit swung to $4.4 billion from a loss of $1.05 billion a year earlier, while operating income reached $2.8 billion. Starlink revenue rose 69% to $5.2 billion, with its subscriber base expanding to 13.6 million. SpaceX primarily earns AI revenue by renting data-centre computing capacity to developers, including Anthropic, Google, and Reflection AI.
Oil prices steady as supply risks offset peace hopes
Oil futures were little changed in a volatile session. Brent crude rose 1.09% to $109.95 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate gained 0.18% to $97.98. Both benchmarks had climbed as much as $2 earlier in the day before paring gains.
Traders weighed potential progress in Russia-Ukraine peace talks—Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to resume US-mediated negotiations—against ongoing Middle East supply risks and a larger-than-expected draw in US crude inventories. US crude stockpiles fell by 3.06 million barrels to 412.5 million last week, exceeding forecasts for a decline of 820,000 barrels. However, distillate inventories rose by 1.68 million barrels, contrary to expectations for a drop.
Gold edges lower despite falling Treasury yields
Gold prices slipped marginally, with spot gold down 0.06% to $4,121.98 an ounce and US gold futures settling 0.14% lower at $4,136.4. The 10-year Treasury yield fell for a second consecutive session, which typically supports non-yielding gold, but the metal remained under pressure ahead of the Federal Reserve's October 27-28 policy meeting.
Investors are also watching the upcoming personal consumption expenditures inflation report. Markets are pricing in an 88% probability of a rate increase in December, according to CME FedWatch. "I think gold prices will be range-bound for the time being. But I think the bias remains to the downside," said Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist at Zaner Metals, in a Reuters report.
Netflix declines despite earnings beat
Netflix shares fell 4.79% on Wednesday even after the streaming giant reported adjusted earnings of 87 cents per share, above the 82-cent estimate. Revenue matched expectations at $12.9 billion, but the company's fourth-quarter revenue forecast of $13.4 billion came in below the $13.5 billion consensus, reigniting concerns about slowing growth and viewer engagement.
Shares have dropped 27% in 2026 as competition intensifies. Analysts are split: Morningstar maintained an $80 price target and highlighted advertising expansion as a potential growth driver, while Needham downgraded Netflix to Hold from Buy, expecting revenue growth to slow to single digits in 2027. JPMorgan kept an Overweight rating, and Bank of America pointed to Netflix's subscriber base of more than 300 million and potential for margin expansion.
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