Expo News Today — October 24, 2026

The global economic landscape is marked by rising tensions and shifting dynamics. Geopolitical uncertainties are on the rise, with the US and Iran on a potential collision course, sending oil prices soaring, with US oil now above $100 and Brent hitting a five-month high. The situation is further complicated by the US midterm elections, which are set to take place over the weekend, adding to the uncertainty. Meanwhile, President Trump's trade policies are facing pushback from some Republicans, including Maine's Susan Collins, who has managed to get him to back down on Canadian tariffs.

The impact of these developments is being felt across various sectors, including energy, technology, and telecommunications. The oil market is on edge, with fresh US strikes on Iran predicted, and mobile ambitions of SpaceX are hitting telecom stocks. In the tech space, TikTok's US operations are scaling up, with the company on the hunt for multiple gigawatts of computing capacity. As the day unfolds, market participants will be keeping a close eye on these developments, and we have identified the top 10 things to watch in the stock market on Friday. With these factors in play, it's shaping up to be a complex and potentially volatile day in the markets.

Today's signal:
• Some Republicans are opposing Trump on tariffs. Maine’s Susan Collins just got him to back down on Canadian levies. (marketwatch.com)
• Oil markets are on edge ahead of the weekend, as midterm elections near and fresh U.S. strikes on Iran are predicted (marketwatch.com)
• TikTok U.S. hunts for multiple gigawatts of computing capacity, sources tell CNBC (cnbc.com)
• Our top 10 things to watch in the stock market Friday (cnbc.com)
• U.S. oil rises above $100, Brent at five-month high as Iran says it’s prepared for warfare (cnbc.com)
• The mobile ambitions of SpaceX are hitting telecom stocks again. Here’s what the latest developments mean. (marketwatch.com)