US markets today: Wall Street pauses near records as gold ticks up; investors cheer airline earnings

Market Overview - The S&P 500 increased by 0.1%, marking eight gains in the past nine sessions, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 21 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite remained virtually flat [4][6] - Gold prices climbed by 0.1% following a strong rally this year, and Treasury yields remained steady amid expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts to support economic growth [4][6] Airline Industry - Delta Air Lines surged by 6.4% after reporting stronger-than-expected summer profits and projecting full-year earnings above forecasts, with broad-based sales acceleration noted, particularly in domestic business travel [4][6] - Other airline stocks also benefited, with American Airlines gaining 3.3%, United Airlines rising by 5.3%, and Southwest Airlines adding 3.3% [4][6] Corporate Earnings - PepsiCo's stock rose by 1.3% after reporting better-than-expected quarterly profits, driven by improved momentum in its North American drinks business [5][6] - Tesla's stock fell by 1.1% following a preliminary evaluation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding safety concerns over its full self-driving system [5][6] - Akero Therapeutics jumped by 16.8% after news of a potential acquisition by Novo Nordisk for up to $5.2 billion, contingent on federal approval of its lead product candidate [5][6] - MP Materials climbed by 5.2% after China announced export curbs on rare earths, which are essential for electronics and aerospace components [5][6] Global Market Trends - Global markets showed mixed results, with Shanghai's index rising by 1.3% and Japan's Nikkei 225 gaining 1.8%, led by SoftBank Group, which surged by 11.4% after announcing a $5.4 billion deal to acquire the robotics unit of Swiss engineering firm ABB [5][6] - In the US bond market, the 10-year Treasury yield edged up to 4.14% from 4.13% [5][6]