After a rough September, October has so far been much more kind to stocks and has helped Wall Street cut into some of its third-quarter losses . More encouragingly, our biggest winners aren’t limited to one sector but come from a range of industries, including retail, health care and cybersecurity. This month through Monday, the S & P 500 gained about 2%, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 2.8% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 1.5%. In September, the S & P 500 sank 4.87%, the Nasdaq tumbled 5.81% and the blue-chip Dow dropped 3.5%. Here are our top five performers so far in October, and the factors that are driving the strong performances. FL mountain 2023-09-29 Foot Locker’s stock performance so far in October. Our worst performer for the September quarter, Foot Locker (FL) has rebounded to start the fourth quarter with a 25% gain. The ascent began after Nike ‘s (NKE) late September earnings report and conference call, when the shoemaker mentioned a “reset” in its relationship with Foot Locker. While the stock move has been encouraging, we don’t want to chase it. Shares of FL remain down 42% year to date, and as Jim Cramer mentioned during our October Monthly Meeting , the company’s turnaround plan has a tight deadline. LLY mountain 2023-09-29 Eli Lilly’s stock performance so far in October. Eli Lilly (LLY) shares have returned to their winning ways after falling about 3% in September. The stock closed at an all-time high Thursday. Its 14.8% climb in October has pushed its year-to-date gains to roughly 68%, the fourth best in our portfolio. We locked in significant profits on Sept. 12 — before the stock began its multiweek draw down — which makes us more comfortable letting the stock ride here. Lilly’s best day this month came on Oct. 11, when it rallied 4.5% in sympathy with a bullish GLP-1 trial announcement from rival Novo Nordisk (NVO). Lilly’s diabetes drug Mounjaro and Novo Nordisk’s diabetes treatment Ozempic and weight-loss drug Wegovy are in a drug category known as GLP-1s. Mounjaro, a key piece to our LLY thesis, is awaiting U.S. regulatory clearance to also treat obesity. PANW mountain 2023-09-29 Palo Alto’s stock performance so far in October. Our third-best performer in October is Palo Alto Networks (PANW), which is up 11.55% through Monday. Similar to Eli Lilly, the cybersecurity company’s stock closed at a record high Thursday and has been a big 2023 winner — up 87.4%, trailing only Nvidia (NVDA) and Meta Platforms (META) in our portfolio. Nevertheless, the stock’s October gains are notable because they follow three consecutive monthly declines. PANW’s recent strength seems tied, in large part, to high-profile cyber attacks at companies such as Clorox (CLX) and Johnson Controls (JCI). The various breaches underscore the importance of security tools that Palo Alto and its cyber peers provide. Palo Alto offers a slew of security features on the same platform, which is attractive to customers looking to consolidate their spending. CTRA mountain 2023-09-29 Coterra Energy’s stock performance so far in October. Coterra Energy (CTRA) has gained about 8% in October, building on the stock’s 6.9% advance in the third quarter as crude oil prices rallied. Coterra’s stock rise was supported by a big jump in natural gas futures early in the month — though some of that move has faded. More generally, sentiment around exploration-and-production companies like Coterra has been boosted by Exxon Mobil ‘s (XOM) takeover offer for now-former Club holding Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD), which some in the marketplace believe could spark additional consolidation in the energy sector. Additionally, the Israel-Hamas war has heightened geopolitical risk in the global oil market, placing some upward pressure on prices. We exited our Pioneer position on Monday. HUM mountain 2023-09-29 Humana’s stock performance so far in October. Occupying the No. 5 spot in October is Humana (HUM), which has climbed 7.75%. On Oct. 6, we made good on a pledge to trim Humana when the stock returned to $500 per share amid a recovery from a major sell-off in the summer. Sentiment around Humana has continued to improve in recent days. First, there was positive quarterly results Friday morning from fellow insurer UnitedHealth Group (UNH). Then after the close Friday, the U.S. government issued grades on 2024 Medicare Advantage plans, and Humana’s offerings scored well. Those favorable grades, known as star ratings, likely contributed to Humana’s 3.6% gain in Monday’s session. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long FL, LLY, PANW, CTRA and HUM. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell on August 5, 2022 at Wall Street in New York City.
Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images
After a rough September, October has so far been much more kind to stocks and has helped Wall Street cut into some of its third-quarter losses. More encouragingly, our biggest winners aren’t limited to one sector but come from a range of industries, including retail, health care and cybersecurity.
Honda’s electric SUV took the US by storm, becoming the top-selling EV in the US outside of Tesla in the final three months of 2024. This year, Honda is making the Prologue even more attractive, upgrading it with over 300 miles of range. With 2025 Prologue models now arriving at dealerships, Honda wasted no time launching new deals this week.
2025 Honda Prologue EV deals and offers
After the first models were delivered last March, the Honda Prologue quickly became one of the best-selling electric vehicles in the US.
In the second half of 2024, the Prologue was the second best-selling electric SUV, trailing only the Tesla Model Y. This year, it boasts even more driving range and power.
Since Honda didn’t raise prices, it’s essentially a free upgrade (well, sort of). The 2025 Honda Prologue (2WD) now has a “top-class” EPA rating of 308 miles, up 12 miles from the outgoing model. It also packs 220 horsepower (+8) and 243 lb-ft of torque (+7).
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The Prologue is still available in single-motor (2WD) and dual-motor (AWD) versions in three trims: EX, Touring, and Elite.
The AWD version now has a range of 294 miles (+13) for the EX and Touring trims and 283 miles (+10) for the Elite. It also now packs 300 horsepower (+12) and 355 lb-ft of torque (+25).
Honda Prologue Elite (Source: Honda)
With DC fast charging speeds of up to 150 kW, the electric SUV can add 65 miles of range in around 10 minutes.
The 2025 Honda Prologue starts at $47,400, but with the $7,500 EV tax credit, prices could fall to under $40,000. And that’s for the EX single-motor version with up to 308 miles of range.
On Honda’s website, the 2025 Prologue is listed with a promotional rate of 2.99% APR for up to 60 months. Lease prices for the base model are not yet available, but the 2025 AWD EX is listed at $599 for 36 months with $4,299 due at signing.
Although the deals on the 2025 models are not nearly as good as the 0% financing and leases as low as $269 per month for the 2024 Prologue, Honda had to make up for the upgrades somewhere.
Trim
Drive Configuration
Pricing
EPA Ratings
MSRP
After Federal EV Tax Credit
Plus $1,450 D&H
Range Rating
MPGe Rating (City/Hwy/Combined)
EX
Single Motor (2WD)
$47,400
$39,900
$41,350
308
113 / 94 / 104
EX
Dual Motor (AWD)
$50,400
$42,900
$44,350
294
108 / 90 / 99
Touring
Single Motor (2WD)
$51,700
$44,200
$45,650
308
113 / 94 / 104
Touring
Dual Motor (AWD)
$54,700
$47,200
$48,650
294
108 / 90 / 99
Elite
Dual Motor (AWD)
$57,900
$50,400
$51,850
283
104 / 87 / 95
2025 Honda Prologue prices, range, and drive configuration by trim (Source: Honda)
Honda is sweetening the deal with a charging package included in the Prologue’s price. You can choose from a free Level 2 home charger, a portable charging kit, or a $750 public charging credit.
The 2024 Honda Prologue is selling out fast with ultra-low lease and financing rates, while the 2025 model promises even more. Ready to try it out for yourself? You can use our link to find deals on the 2024 and 2025 Honda Prologue in your area today.
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In this photo illustration, the logo for the US tech firm “Block” is displayed and reflected in a number of digital screens on March 03, 2023 in London, England.
Leon Neal | Getty Images
With its stock down more than 30% this year and revenue growth slowing, Jack Dorsey’s Block is going bigger in lending.
The company on Thursday said it secured approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to originate loans through its banking subsidiary, Square Financial Services, allowing it to offer small-dollar consumer loans directly rather than relying on external banking partners.
It’s an expansion of Cash App Borrow, the company’s short-term lending product. But it comes at a time of increased concerns surrounding consumer credit, with President Trump’s expansive tariffs and widespread government job cuts raising talk of a potential recession.
Transaction losses in Block’s lending segment jumped 39% last quarter, and while the company claims its underwriting model is strong, small-dollar lending is inherently risky.
“Cash App Borrow is designed to provide short-term cash flow in a simple and accessible way when alternatives are notoriously expensive and difficult for consumers to navigate,” Block said in the press release. The company added that the average Cash App Borrow loan was under $100 and about a month in duration.
Block didn’t immediately provide a comment.
In getting approval to operate the lending business out of its own bank, Block says it will be able to offer the product nationwide.
Last month, Block reported quarterly results that missed Wall Street expectations, with revenue growing just 4.5% from a year earlier. The stock plunged 18%, its worst one-day drop since 2020.
Around the same time, Block rolled out Afterpay, its buy now, pay later product, on the Cash App card. Chief Financial Officer Amrita Ahuja told CNBC that the launch aimed to provide customers with more credit options, and positioned Cash App as a banking alternative for some customers. Block acquired Afterpay, which competes with Affirm, for $29 billion in early 2022.
Also this week, Block announced a big investment plan in artificial intelligence.
The company said on Wednesday that it will deploy Nvidia’s AI systems with its latest Blackwell chips to power open-source AI research. Block didn’t say what specifically it’s looking to achieve through its AI buildout, but noted in the press release that it will “start exploring novel solutions for our customers.”
Kia is launching its first electric van, the PV5, later this year. If you liked how it looked in pictures, wait until you see it in real life. A production PV5 was spotted in Korea for the first time, giving us a closer look at the futuristic van. See it for yourself in the video below.
Kia’s first electric van spotted in Korea
After teasing it for what seemed like forever, Kia finally took the sheets off the PV5 at its 2025 EV Day event last month.
With its hard-to-miss futuristic design, the PV5 is a near replica of the concept shown at CES last January. The mid-size electric van is set to kick off Kia’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) strategy.
The PV5 will initially be available in Passenger, Cargo, and Chassis Cab setups, but with “unprecedented flexibility,” you can expect to see more options soon. Two of the first will be the PV5 Crew, with additional cargo securing options and a Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle (WAV) version.
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After that, Kia will follow it up with Drop Side, Box Van, Freezer, Box, and Prime variations. It plans to launch a Light Camper conversion.
Kia PV5 spotted in Korea (Source: HealerTV)
With sales kicking off in the second half of 2025, Kia’s electric van was spotted in Korea for the first time without camouflage. A new video from HealerTV gives us a better idea of what to expect when the PV5 hits dealerships later this year.
The PV5 maintains its techy, almost ahead-of-its-time design. Two exterior body colors were shown: white and a darker grey or black. As the reporter notes, it actually looks like an upgrade from the concept.
Kia did what it could at the back so it didn’t look like a bus, giving it more of a rounded overall shape. You can see how it stands apart from most MPVs you see today.
Like the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, Kia’s PV5 looks more like a minibus. At 4,695 mm long, 1,895 mm wide, and 1,899 mm tall, Kia’s passenger electric van is slightly smaller than the European ID.Buzz model (4,712 mm long, 1,985 mm wide, 1,937 mm tall).
It will be available with 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh battery packs, good for up to 400 km (249 miles) WLTP range. The PV5 can also fast charge (10% to 80%) in about 30 minutes. In comparison, powered by an 84 kWh battery, the ID.Buzz now offers up to 293 miles WLTP range.
Kia will launch sales in Korea and Europe later this year, followed by other global markets in 2026. Pre-orders will open soon, so check back for prices.
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