Week Ahead: Wall Street Faces Midterm Elections, Iran Risk and Rate-Hike Bets

U.S. stocks start November after a rough finish to October, with the S&P 500 closing Friday at 7,580.07 (down 1.82%), the Dow at 51,770.31 (down 1.09%) and the Nasdaq at 25,437.00. The VIX rose nearly 13% to 19.42.

Investors will be watching next week's U.S. midterm elections. Reports that the United States may resume strikes on Iran afterward helped lift WTI crude to about $104 and Brent to roughly $112 on Friday.

Expectations of a December Fed rate hike and continued worries over AI spending round out the backdrop, leaving markets sensitive to any new inflation, energy or earnings surprises.