US stocks hold near record highs after the S&P 500 (^GSPC) and Nasdaq (^IXIC) both closed at all-time highs. Gold remains near $4,000 an ounce, driven by safe-haven demand and central bank buying, even as Fed minutes showed policymakers divided on the pace of rate cuts. Chair Jerome Powell delivers remarks today at a community banking conference but is not expected to comment on monetary policy. Delta Air Lines (DAL) jumped after a strong Q3 earnings beat, reporting $15.2B in revenue and raising guidance for the rest of the year. CEO Ed Bastian said Delta could see its most profitable Q4 ever, fueled by strength in premium and business travel. PepsiCo (PEP) also topped estimates, with beverage sales offsetting weaker snacks as activist investor Elliott Management pushes for a portfolio review. Intel (INTC) rose on new chip rollout plans, Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) reported a 30% quarterly sales jump, and Nvidia (NVDA) got a fresh price target hike to $300 from Cantor Fitzgerald.

Takeaways:

Delta beats big and raises guidance; premium and business travel soar
PepsiCo tops estimates as beverage strength offsets snack weakness
Gold holds near $4,000; Fed minutes show divided policymakers
Intel, TSMC, and Nvidia rise on new AI chip optimism

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Stocks steady, Pepsi and Delta beat, gold still shining