MarketBeat Week in Review – 09/29 - 10/03

Key Points

• Major indexes hit record highs despite the government shutdown that began on Oct. 1, shifting investor focus to the upcoming earnings season.
• Rising oil prices and higher mortgage rates may pressure consumers, even as energy stocks and dividend payers attract renewed interest.
• With key economic reports delayed, investors are turning to corporate earnings and analyst insights to gauge market momentum.

If any investors thought a government shutdown was an opportunity to short the market, they were proven wrong. All major indexes reached record highs even after the shutdown began on Oct. 1. Attention now shifts to the upcoming corporate earnings season, which is expected to reinforce confidence in corporate health.

Elsewhere, the news was less favorable for consumers. OPEC+ announced it will extend production cuts, a positive for oil stocks but a potential drag on household budgets. At the same time, the 30-year mortgage rate inched higher, pressuring both consumers and homebuilders.

One consequence of the government shutdown is the lack of economic data. For example, there was no Jobs report this week, and if the shutdown lasts past next week, investors won’t get the latest CPI and PPI readings on inflation. That’s even more reason to count on the MarketBeat analysts to keep you tuned into what's moving the market. Here are some of our most popular stories this week.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

September was a great month for stocks, bucking a historical trend. What will October bring? This week, Thomas Hughes highlighted five stocks that moved higher in September and still have room to go higher.

SoundHound AI Inc. NASDAQ: SOUN surged higher to start the month. Hughes explained the deal that sparked the rally and how investors should play the stock before earnings.

Hughes also explained why Costco Wholesale Corp. NASDAQ: COST is likely to reach new highs. Value investors will appreciate the “special gift’ that the company is likely to issue in the fourth quarter.

Articles by Sam Quirke

Qualcomm Inc. NASDAQ: QCOM continued to move higher and is trading at levels investors haven’t seen in two years. Sam Quirke explained the reasons behind the surge and the risks that Qualcomm must overcome to keep the bullish momentum going.

Tesla Inc. NASDAQ: TSLA stock has fully recovered from its slide in the first quarter. Quirke explained why the company’s upcoming earnings report could be a make-or-break moment for the stock price.

AI stocks will continue to be strong performers in the fourth quarter. This week, Quirke provided investors with three reasons to believe that CoreWeave NASDAQ: CRWV may deliver the strongest growth among AI stocks as the year comes to an end.

Articles by Chris Markoch

The price of crude oil has been a blessing for consumers and a drag on shareholders. However, Chris Markoch explained why that dynamic may change in the fourth quarter and highlighted three oil stocks that are likely to benefit from higher crude prices.

Microsoft Corp. NASDAQ: MSFT has posted a strong gain of over 20% in 2025, putting it near an all-time high. Markoch pointed out the stock’s uncommonly consistent performance along with other reasons why it’s best to own the stock rather than time it.

The new iPhone 17 launch has been bullish for Apple Inc. NASDAQ: AAPL. However, Markoch noted that the real growth in the stock is coming from the integration of AI into the company’s walled garden.

Articles by Ryan Hasson

Rocket Lab USA Inc. NASDAQ: RKLB has more to offer than just its ability to deliver payloads into orbit. However, Ryan Hasson reminded investors this week that the company’s launch business continues to fuel its growth, and pointed to a catalyst that will keep revenue flowing in the coming quarters.

For several years, the bull case for battery technology has centered around electric vehicles (EVs). This week, Hasson wrote that this market is forecast to nearly triple in the next 10 years, and he highlighted five battery stocks that should be on the radar of patient, risk-tolerant investors.

Articles by Gabriel Osorio-Mazilli

Diversification has become important again in 2025. For some investors, that means investing in emerging markets. This week, Gabriel Osorio-Mazilli highlighted five emerging market stocks that investors have overlooked in the last quarter, and why they may want to reconsider. 

Technology stocks continue to be standout performers in 2025. But that hasn’t meant much to investors in PayPal Inc. NASDAQ: PYPL stock, which is down approximately 20% for the year. However, Osorio-Mazilli explained why the stock is being misunderstood as much as undervalued, which could make the stock a contrarian pick.

Osorio-Mazilli also made the bull case for BigBear.ai Holdings Inc. NYSE: BBAI. The company’s growth in both commercial and government contracts could lead to growth that rivals that of Palantir.

Articles by Leo Miller

The domestic EV market faces headwinds, but Leo Miller pointed out the opportunity investors have with the Chinese automaker BYD Co. Ltd. OTCMKTS: BYDDF. Miller highlighted the discrepancy between the company’s fundamentals, which rival Tesla’s but have a much more attractive valuation.

Miller also wrote about the reasons driving AppLovin Corp. NASDAQ: APP stock to new highs. This is one of the top 10 best-performing stocks in 2025 and could be one solid earnings report away from forcing analysts to bid the stock even higher.

Even with the markets at record highs, the case for high-quality dividend stocks is still intact. This week, Miller highlighted three high-yield dividend stocks that recently increased their dividend payouts.

Articles by Nathan Reiff

What should investors make of the September rally in D-Wave Quantum Inc. NYSE: QBTS? Nathan Reiff suggested exercising caution. The catalysts behind the stock’s move are based on macroeconomic factors instead of fundamentals, and short interest is moving higher. 

The healthcare market continues to grow rapidly. But Reiff pointed out that finding profitable healthcare stocks can be difficult, even for experienced investors. He offered up three names that combine strong fundamentals with a solid growth outlook.

Many investors have stayed away from consumer stocks this year as a bifurcated consumer and uncertainty around tariffs and trade have weighed on outlooks. Reiff found three consumer stock picks that remind investors why strong fundamentals matter in any market.

Articles by Dan Schmidt

Normally, when a stock makes a strong move higher, investors are advised to wait for a dip. However, this week, Dan Schmidt looked at two of the hottest AI stocks in September and explained why a key technical signal points to more gains ahead.

If the allure of quantum computing gives investors visions of 2021, they’re not alone. This week, Schmidt made a case for why the recent rise in some quantum stocks has its roots in the meme stock movement and what that may mean for investors looking to get involved.

Articles by Jeffrey Neal Johnson

The AI sector regularly presents new opportunities to investors. One of the latest names to consider is Datavault AI Inc. NASDAQ: DVLT. The small-cap data sciences company's stock is up more than 300% in the last month. This week, Jeffrey Neal Johnson explained why investors should follow the money that’s flowing into the company.

It’s been a strong year for drone stocks, including Draganfly Inc. NASDAQ: DPRO, up more than 175% in 2025 and 17% in the last month. Johnson pointed out the catalyst behind the recent movement and why the stock may have further to climb.

There’s been some positive movement in the dormant cannabis sector in 2025. But Johnson noted that despite the company’s improving fundamentals, the recent move in Tilray Brands Inc. NASDAQ: TLRY may be more noise than signal.

Articles by Jordan Chussler

Lithium Americas Corp. NYSE: LAC has been a beneficiary of the reignited lithium trade. This week, Jordan Chussler explained why LAC stock has been moving higher and why investors should look beyond the United States to understand the long-term outlook for the stock.

For investors looking for a different way to play the EV market, Chussler highlighted the correlation between Tesla and Rivian Automotive Inc. NASDAQ: RIVN stocks and how traders can use that to their advantage.

Small-cap stocks are a favorite of speculative investors, but there is a lot of trash to go along with the treasure. Chussler explained how the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF NYSEARCA: IJR weeds out the worst-performing companies, which should provide retail investors with a more profitable outcome.