Here are the AP's top business stories that have moved or are planned to move today. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit AP Newsroom's Coverage Plan.

US home sales accelerated in September to their fastest pace since February as mortgage rates eased

SUMMARY: Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes accelerated in September as declining mortgage rates and a pickup in available properties on the market encouraged home shoppers. The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that existing home sales rose 1.5% last month from August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million units. That's the fastest sales pace since February. Sales jumped 4.1% compared with September last year. The national median sales price climbed 2.1% in September from a year earlier to $415,200. The housing market has been in a slump since 2022, when mortgage rates climbed from historic lows. Affordability remains a daunting challenge for most aspiring homeowners following years of skyrocketing home prices.

WORDS: 568 - MOVED: 10/23/2025 10:04 a.m. EDT

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Wall Street drifts as gains for oil companies help make up for Tesla's and IBM's losses

SUMMARY: U.S. stocks are drifting near their record heights. The S&P 500 added 0.4% Thursday and crept back within 0.4% of its all-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 70 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.5%. Exxon Mobil and other oil companies rose after President Donald Trump announced massive new sanctions on Russia's crude industry. Crude prices rose roughly 5%. That helped offset a drop for Tesla, which reported a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Gold's price rose following a two-day slide, while Treasury yields edged up.

WORDS: 641 - MOVED: 10/23/2025 1:47 a.m. EDT

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Union Pacific reports 7% higher profits as its CEO makes the case for Norfolk Southern merger

SUMMARY: Union Pacific delivered 7% growth in its third-quarter earnings Thursday as its CEO continues to make the case for the potential benefits of acquiring one of the railroad's eastern rivals. The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad said it earned $1.788 billion, or $3.01 per share in the quarter. Union Pacific wants to buy Norfolk Southern in a $85 billion deal that would create the first transcontinental railroad.  Norfolk Southern will report its earnings Thursday afternoon. Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena wrote a letter to employees reiterating that he thinks the merger is great for America because it would enable the railroad to deliver goods more quickly and help the companies that rely on its deliveries of raw materials and finished products.

WORDS: 511 - MOVED: 10/23/2025 8:27 a.m. EDT

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Where the jewels stolen from the Louvre Museum might end up

SUMMARY: Just days after a stunning heist at the Louvre Museum, speculation is growing around where the lavish, stolen jewels that once adorned France's royals might end up. Some warn the artifacts, valued at over $100 million, could be melted or broken into parts -- and later sold as pieces of new jewelry. Still, such pieces are often sold for a fraction of the value of what was fully stolen. And it isn't a simple process. Others believe the characteristics of the historical jewels might make them difficult to sell. Museums have increasingly faced a rash of similar thefts over the years.

WORDS: 1020 - MOVED: 10/23/2025 5:46 a.m. EDT

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Wedding etiquette includes being mindful of how much it costs guests to attend

SUMMARY: Weddings are meant to be celebrations of love. They also may require invited guests to make a financial commitment that brings them stress. Whether it's paying for hotels and flights to attend a destination wedding or different outfits and gifts for multiple pre-wedding events, friends and extended family often feel pressure to spend a large amount of money before the couple gets married.  A sense of obligation and budget constraints can create resentment, hurt feelings and misunderstandings among friends and family. Experts say there are ways engaged couples can reduce costs for their wedding guests and guests can participate without going into debt.

WORDS: 1097 - MOVED: 10/23/2025 7:44 a.m. EDT

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Tesla's profit fell in third quarter even as sales rose. Musk sees robotaxi expansion by year end

SUMMARY: Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.

WORDS: 627 - MOVED: 10/22/2025 4:33 p.m. EDT

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How major US stock indexes fared Wednesday, 10/22/2025

SUMMARY: U.S. stocks and the price of gold fell, as momentum on Wall Street reverses. The S&P 500 sank 0.5% Wednesday, though it's still not far below the all-time high it set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.7%, from its record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite fell 0.9%. Netflix helped drag the market lower after reporting a profit that fell short of forecasts. Beyond Meat added more wild swings to its meme-stock run, and the price of gold sank for a second straight day from its record. Stock indexes were mixed across Europe and Asia.

WORDS: 270 - MOVED: 10/22/2025 4:24 p.m. EDT

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US stocks and gold sink, while meme stocks swerve, as momentum reverses on Wall Street

SUMMARY: U.S. stocks and the price of gold fell, as momentum on Wall Street reverses. The S&P 500 sank 0.5% Wednesday, though it's still not far below the all-time high it set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.7%, from its record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite fell 0.9%. Netflix helped drag the market lower after reporting a profit that fell short of forecasts. Beyond Meat added more wild swings to its meme-stock run, and the price of gold sank for a second straight day from its record. Stock indexes were mixed across Europe and Asia.

WORDS: 665 - MOVED: 10/22/2025 1:30 a.m. EDT

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Foundations want to curb AI developers' influence with $500 million aimed at centering human needs

SUMMARY: Ten philanthropic foundations are committing $500 million across the next five years to place human interests at the forefront of artificial intelligence's rapid integration into daily life. The coalition, which launched Tuesday, calls themselves Humanity AI. Its ranks include the Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Mellon Foundation, and Omidyar Network. Together they pledge to support AI developments that advance democracy, strengthen education, protect artists, enhance work and defend personal security. Citing fears such as AI-driven fake news and job replacement, the goal is to return agency to everyday people. MacArthur Foundation President John Palfrey says the "stakes are too high to defer decisions to a handful of companies and leaders within them."

WORDS: 970 - MOVED: 10/14/2025 12:01 p.m. EDT

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A vocal critic of Georgia Power is under arrest for allegedly stealing trade secrets

SUMMARY: A longtime critic of Georgia Power is under arrest for allegedly stealing confidential information from Georgia Power. Georgia Capitol Police arrested Patty Durand Tuesday during a break in a regulatory hearing. Durand is charged with felony theft of trade secrets and was booked into the Fulton County Jail. No bail had been set as of Wednesday. Durand was a Democratic candidate for the Public Service Commission in 2022, but the election was never held. She founded Georgians for Affordable Energy. Georgia Power says releasing its confidential information could harm the company's economic position. It says it is cooperating with law enforcement, but isn't saying whether it asked for Durand's arrest.

WORDS: 469 - MOVED: 10/22/2025 1:52 p.m. EDT

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Meta cutting 600 AI jobs even as it continues to hire more for its superintelligence lab

SUMMARY: Meta Platforms is cutting roughly 600 artificial intelligence jobs even as it continues to hire more workers for its superintelligence lab, the company confirmed on Wednesday. Axios first reported the cuts, which will affect Meta's Fundamental AI Research, or FAIR unit, as well as product-related AI and AI infrastructure units. Its newer TBD Lab unit won't be affected. Citing a memo sent to workers by chief AI officer Alexandr Wang, Axios said the company is encouraging employees affected to apply for other jobs at Meta, with most expected to find other roles.

WORDS: 217 - MOVED: 10/22/2025 1:45 p.m. EDT

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Google and Apple face extra UK scrutiny over 'strategic' role in mobile platforms

SUMMARY: Britain's antitrust watchdog has targeted Google and Apple for their "strategic" roles in mobile ecosystems, opening the door for regulators to impose changes to their business practices to improve competition. The Competition and Markets Authority escalated scrutiny of the two U.S. tech companies on Wednesday by labeling them with "strategic market status." It follows separate investigations that the CMA opened at the start of the year into Google's Android and Apple's iOS using newly acquired digital market regulations designed to protect consumers and businesses from unfair practices by Big Tech companies. Google called the decision "disappointing."

WORDS: 424 - MOVED: 10/22/2025 9:32 a.m. EDT

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Gold prices have tumbled from recent records. What's behind the losses?

SUMMARY: Less than a day after gold soared to another record high, prices for the precious metal plunged -- marking the biggest sell-off in years. Gold futures in New York closed at a record $4,374 per troy ounce on Monday, before falling more than $250 (or 5.74%) Tuesday. That's the largest, single-day percentage drop seen since September 2011, according to data in FactSet. And despite some brief rebounds, losses continued to pile up Wednesday. Prices are still up more than 50% since the start of 2025. Gold sales often rise sharply amid wider economic uncertainty, as anxious investors seek a "safe haven" for their money.

WORDS: 835 - MOVED: 10/22/2025 12:25 p.m. EDT

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Beyond Meat shares sizzle on Walmart deal and meme stock interest

SUMMARY: Beyond Meat's shares are sizzling once again. The plant-based meat company's shares were up more than 92% in morning trading Wednesday. Its shares have surged more than 1000% over the last four trading days. Investors cheered Beyond Meat's announcement Tuesday that it's increasing the availability of some of its products at U.S. Walmart stores. But perhaps the biggest driver of Beyond's rally was Roundhill Investments, which added Beyond Meat to its Meme Stock ETF, or exchange-traded fund, on Monday. The fund consists solely of meme stocks, which are stocks that gain popularity and trading volume based on social media hype rather than  financial performance.

WORDS: 363 - MOVED: 10/22/2025 11:32 a.m. EDT

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