S&P 500 nears all-time high ahead of Fed minutes and earnings season

The S&P 500 is on track for another record high now that market attention is turning to the start of earnings season. The third-quarter earnings season officially begins on Friday, when several of the largest banks are expected to report results. Investors have been largely upbeat lately, with strong economic data offsetting rising tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty over the U.S. election. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 was near a record high, driven by technology stocks. Soon, the Federal Reserve will release minutes from its September meeting, where the Fed kicked off its rate cuts with a bold 50 basis point cut in September. But the decision was not unanimous, the first time since 2005 that Fed governors have disagreed.