BUSINESS NEWS TODAY – TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2026
Futures for the three major indexes are mixed on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 and Dow falling and the Nasdaq rising 0.31%.
Bitcoin’s value remains stable at $77,000 despite the massive hack at Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange.
Biggest gainers from Monday’s trading are Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (+12.16%) and Lattice Semiconductor, Inc. (+11.1%). Biggest losers are Adeia, Inc. (-20.66%) and Shopify, Inc. (-14.86%).
On Monday, November 2:
- The S&P 500 fell 38.67 points to 7,541.40
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 213.67 points to 51,983.98
- The Nasdaq composite fell 272.68 points to 25,164.32
For The Year:
- The S&P 500 has added 695.90 points (10.2%)
- The Dow has gained 3,920.69 points (8.2%)
- The Nasdaq has increased 1,922.33 points (8.3%)
Disney Searches For 20% Reduction In Expenses, Including Job Cuts
Disney’s leadership has reportedly told managers to look into cost reductions that could amount to 20% of expenses, including job cuts. Bloomberg is reporting the impact of the potential cuts and savings are not specified. The restructuring and cost reductions are expected to impact several areas of the company, including theme parks and television. Some divisions could face larger reductions than others.
If the job cuts reach a maximum number, the company could potentially be looking at eliminating thousands of positions. The most recent records show Disney employs approximately 230,000 people around the world.
Disney is trying to navigate a changing environment through AI, including its television businesses. It is also dealing with lower revenue from feature movies in theaters, and increasing competition from streaming services. Disney could reinvest the potential cost savings into several business sectors that are currently performing well.
Apple Earnings Beat Estimates, But Forecast Weakens
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA –Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2026 fourth quarter ended September 26, 2026. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $114.5 billion, up 12 percent year over year. Company gross margin was 47.9 percent, including a favorable impact of approximately 1 percentage point from tariff refunds. Diluted earnings per share was $2.10, up 14 percent year over year, and included a favorable impact of $0.05 from tariff refunds.
“Today, Apple is proud to report a September quarter revenue record of $114.5 billion, up 12 percent from a year ago, with iPhone reaching a September quarter record and Services reaching an all-time high, capping off our best fiscal year ever,” said John Ternus, Apple’s CEO. “We’re closing the year with our most ambitious lineup yet. That includes the iPhone Duo, the most transformational iPhone since the original, alongside iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, our most powerful iPhones yet. We also just introduced a whole new generation of hardware for the home and brought Touch to Mac for the first time. Together with the all-new Siri AI, it’s an incredible lineup to carry us into the holiday season.”
“Apple delivered September quarter records for net income and EPS. Our record September quarter capped off a strong fiscal 2026, with all-time record revenue of $479 billion and double-digit EPS growth,” said Kevan Parekh, Apple’s CFO. “We generated $28 billion in operating cash flow during the quarter, allowing us to return $28 billion to shareholders. Thanks to our very high levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, our installed base of active devices reached a new all-time high across all major product categories and geographic segments.”
Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.27 per share of the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on November 16, 2026, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 12, 2026.
Taco Bell Earnings Impacted By Cyclospora Outbreak
Yum! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell and KFC, posted a strong revenue increase of 4% from a year earlier, amounting to $2.05 billion in revenue for the quarter. However, Taco Bell sales weighed down the earnings, with revenue falling 4% after the July cyclospora outbreak.
The tainted lettuce situation pushed customers away from the fast feed chain for several weeks, with sales dropping significantly. Yum! Brands executive describe the July 18th weeks as a low point for sales, with results growing afterward. “Since the end of September, Taco Bell U.S. has been outpacing the QSR industry on same-store sales growth,” CEO Chris Turner said in a statement. “Taco Bell will continue building on this momentum, with differentiated value and innovation that resonate across all consumer groups. With iconic brands, unmatched global scale and significant development white space, we remain confident in our ability to deliver consistent earnings growth and create long-term shareholder value.”
Earlier this year, Yum! Brands announced that it is selling the Pizza Hut brand to two separate entities for nearly $4 billion.