Dow Falls 100 Points; Brinker Earnings Beat Estimates

U.S. stocks opened lower as the Dow Jones (Wall Street 30) slipped about 100 points (-0.21%) amid broad but modest weakness: the Nasdaq fell ~0.42% and the S&P 500 dropped ~0.14%. Energy was a bright spot, up about 1%, while communication services lagged. Brinker International beat Q3 EPS estimates ($2.90 vs. $2.87), reported roughly in-line revenue ($1.470B) and raised fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $10.60–$10.85, providing company-specific upside amid the pullback. Commodities moved notably: oil rose ~3.4% to $103.31, gold fell ~1% to $4,564 and silver eased 0.5%. Economic data showed stronger wholesale inventories, higher goods deficit and mixed durable goods and housing metrics — housing starts jumped while building permits fell. Overall the piece signals a mildly negative market tone driven by headline index weakness and macro data, tempered by sector rotation into energy and select corporate beats.