US equity markets advanced on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising as Procter & Gamble and McDonald’s reported upbeat third-quarter results. P&G’s shares climbed 2.29% following robust sales in premium hygiene products, while McDonald’s gained 2.17% on sustained footfall growth. Analysts said resilient consumer spending continues to underpin the broader market’s momentum despite inflation concerns. The upbeat earnings helped offset volatility in tech valuations, signaling renewed confidence among investors ahead of the next Federal Reserve update.

Voice technology startup Smallest.ai secured $8 million in seed funding led by Sierra Ventures to accelerate platform expansion across the US and India. The company plans to enhance multilingual capabilities and compliance-ready solutions for financial and healthcare enterprises. Executives highlighted growing adoption of secure voice interfaces in banking and telemedicine. Analysts said the round reflects venture optimism toward niche AI startups tackling industry-specific data governance. Proceeds will also support product research and talent acquisition for large-scale enterprise deployments.