Markets digest, 12 October 2026: Bitcoin and the Nasdaq slip as the Dow edges up
The S&P 500 closed at 7,807.24 and the Dow rose to 51,850.55. Bitcoin fell to $81,782.78 on Coinbase, and the FSB sent the G20 a note on cross-border gaps in stablecoin oversight.
US stocks were mixed on Monday 12 October: the Dow closed higher while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite slipped. Bitcoin and Ether fell back from their weekend levels, and the VIX rose.
Stocks
The S&P 500 closed at 7,807.24, down from 7,811.54 on Friday. The Nasdaq Composite fell to 27,245.900 from 27,366.170, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to 51,850.55 from 51,654.95. There was no new SEC press release on Monday; last week the SEC obtained final judgments in a microcap boiler-room case, covered in our brief.
Crypto
Bitcoin ended Monday at $81,782.78 on Coinbase, down from $83,683.56 on Sunday. Ether fell to $2,444.98 from $2,535.04. The Financial Stability Board published a note to G20 finance ministers on cross-border gaps in the oversight of global stablecoins; read our brief.
Futures and options
The VIX closed at 15.21, up from 14.84 on Friday. Friday’s Commitments of Traders report, with positions as of Tuesday 6 October, showed non-commercial traders holding more short than long Euro FX futures contracts on the CME, with their short positions up on the week.
Energy and commodities
FRED’s oil and gas prices still run only to Tuesday 6 October: WTI at $96.24 a barrel, up from $96.13 a day earlier, Brent at $125.44, down from $125.51, and Henry Hub natural gas at $3.03, up from $2.96. There was no new EIA weekly report on Monday.
Metals
There were no new official metals releases on Monday. In the same Commitments of Traders report, non-commercial traders held far more long than short COMEX gold futures contracts as of 6 October, and total open interest in gold futures fell on the week. For more on how these contracts work, see our guide to futures.
Forex
The ECB’s euro reference rate against the dollar was 1.1181, down from 1.1206 on Friday. The euro was quoted at 0.84478 pounds, down from 0.84763, and at 177.33 yen, against 177.34. FRED has not published Treasury yields for Friday or Monday; the latest are for Thursday 8 October, at 5.22% for the 10-year and 4.75% for the 2-year.
- FRED: S&P 500 (SP500)
- FRED: Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQCOM)
- FRED: Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)
- FRED: Coinbase Bitcoin (CBBTCUSD)
- FRED: Coinbase Ethereum (CBETHUSD)
- FRED: CBOE Volatility Index (VIXCLS)
- FRED: WTI crude oil, Cushing (DCOILWTICO)
- FRED: Brent crude oil, Europe (DCOILBRENTEU)
- FRED: Henry Hub natural gas spot price (DHHNGSP)
- FRED: 10-year Treasury yield (DGS10)
- FRED: 2-year Treasury yield (DGS2)
- CFTC Commitments of Traders: COMEX futures only, short format (positions as of 6 October 2026)
- CFTC Commitments of Traders: CME futures only, short format (positions as of 6 October 2026)
- ECB euro foreign exchange reference rates (USD, GBP, JPY), 9–12 October 2026
- FSB press release: FSB Chair sets out FSB work on AI and stablecoins (12 October 2026)
Markets: Stocks · Crypto · Futures & Options · Energy & Commodities · Metals · Forex
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