On this October 30th, 2025 episode of The Gentle Ledger, Wall Street exhaled after a week of record highs. The Dow eased to 47,522, the S&P 500 slipped to 6,822, and the Nasdaq fell to 23,581, as investors digested Big Tech’s earnings and a quieter Fed outlook. Meta tumbled on rising AI costs, while Microsoft softened despite strong results. Alphabet rose, buoyed by better-than-expected ad and cloud growth. After the bell, Amazon and Apple reported upbeat numbers—Amazon’s $180 billion in revenue and Apple’s $102 billion sales offered a reassuring close to tech’s reporting week. Overseas markets followed the cautious tone, gold stayed firm near $4,000, and Bitcoin steadied around $110,000. Tonight’s episode captures that gentle pause between progress and patience—the soft breath of a market taking stock.