Markets digest, 9 October 2026: stocks and Bitcoin rise as the VIX eases

US stocks closed higher on Friday 9 October, with all three major indices up on the day, while Bitcoin and Ether recovered some ground and the VIX eased. The EIA reported crude oil and natural gas production shut in across the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Isaias approached.

Stocks

The S&P 500 closed at 7,811.54, up from 7,765.36 on Thursday. The Nasdaq Composite rose to 27,366.170 from 27,193.340, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to 51,654.95 from 51,231.64. The SEC proposed amendments to Rule 17a-7, the Investment Company Act cross-trading rule, which would restore registered funds’ ability to cross trade most fixed-income securities with affiliates.

Crypto

Bitcoin ended the day at $82,543.30 on Coinbase, up from $81,657.19 on Thursday. Ether rose to $2,484.70 from $2,472.49. Separately, the Financial Stability Board sent the G20 a note on cross-border gaps in the oversight of global stablecoins; read our brief.

Futures and options

The VIX closed at 14.84, down from 15.41 on Thursday. On Friday the CFTC proposed treating certain event contracts as swaps; read our brief.

Energy and commodities

FRED’s oil and gas prices still run only to Tuesday 6 October: WTI at $96.24 a barrel, Brent at $125.44 and Henry Hub natural gas at $3.03. In a note on Friday, the EIA said Hurricane Isaias was expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday. Citing the Marine Minerals Administration, it said 130 production platforms and rigs had been evacuated or moved as of Thursday 8 October, shutting in about 1.3 million barrels per day of crude oil as well as natural gas output, and that refinery operations on the Gulf Coast could be affected.

Metals

There were no new official metals releases on Friday. On Monday the World Gold Council signed a three-year memorandum of understanding with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative on traceability and governance in artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

Forex

The ECB’s euro reference rate against the dollar was 1.1206, up from 1.1186 on Thursday. The euro was quoted at 0.84763 pounds, up from 0.84698, and at 177.34 yen, up from 177.05. FRED has not yet published Friday’s Treasury yields; the latest are for Thursday 8 October, at 5.22% for the 10-year and 4.75% for the 2-year.