Good morning!

With national, state, and local elections only a couple weeks away, I'm sure you are wondering how your finances will be affected--no matter what the outcomes. Please join me this Friday, October 18 at 11 a.m. PDT for a timely webinar, Political Shifts & Personal Finances: What You Need to Know About Your Money & the Upcoming Elections. It's going to be interesting, and the information, outcomes, and effects on your finances are probably not what you are expecting. Please join me, and if you can't make it, register anyway to receive a link to the webinar after it concludes so you can watch it at your leisure. Also, feel free to share the invite with anyone you know who you think might be nervous about the upcoming elections and possible impacts on their finances.

This Friday, October 18 @ 11 a.m. PDT

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watch it later at your convenience!

Stocks ended higher last week, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a fresh all-time peak following a stronger-than-expected start to third quarter earnings season. Here's what's happening this week ...

• Earnings season kicked off last Friday with good numbers from the first batch of financial heavy hitters. This week, almost 200 companies report, including another round of banks and financial institutions, along with key consumer product and tech sector companies. This morning, earnings are due from UnitedHealth Group, Johnson & Johnson, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Charles Schwab, Citigroup, and PNC Financial Services, followed Wednesday by ASML Holding, Abbott Laboratories, U.S. Bancorp, CSX, Kinder Morgan, Discover Financial Services, and Equifax. On Thursday, expect numbers from TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor), Netflix, Morgan Stanley, Blackstone, Infosys, Freeport-McMoran, and Truist Financial, followed Friday by Proctor & Gamble, American Express, Regions Financial, Ally Financial, and Comerica. *

• Thursday's U.S. retail sales report will help investors assess whether or not the economy is reaccelerating following a surprisingly strong September jobs report. Economists predict that retail sales grew by 0.2% in September compared to the previous month. In August, retail sales unexpectedly rose by 0.1%, contrary to an anticipated decline. September retail sales excluding auto and gas are expected to rise 0.3%, up from 0.2% in August. **

• Gasoline prices have risen over the past week due to Iran’s attack on Israel, which has impacted oil prices. Initially, oil prices surged with fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East but have since declined as OPEC lowered its oil demand forecast. Additionally, Hurricane Milton caused significant gas station outages in Florida, though it hasn’t affected prices, and conditions are expected to improve. With falling oil prices and recovery in Florida, gas prices might soon decrease, potentially dropping below $3 per gallon nationally for the first time since 2021. Currently, the national average for regular unleaded gas is $3.16 per gallon, up 3.3 cents from last week. (All of us California drivers wish we were only paying that national average!) ***

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** aol.com Advisory Services offered through Miramontes Capital, LLC. Securities offered through Balanced Security Planning, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Miramontes Capital, LLC and Balanced Security Planning, Inc. are separate companies affiliated through common control. This newsletter is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Miramontes Capital, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Miramontes Capital, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.