Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, United States, September 28, 2026.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
Stock futures were slightly higher Wednesday evening as Wall Street prepared for the start of a new month of trading.
Futures contracts linked to Dow Jones Industrial Average added 99 points, or 0.2%. S&P 500 Futures Contracts grew by around 0.3%, and Nasdaq-100 Futures Contracts gained 0.2%.
In regular trading, the broader market S&P500 fell by 0.3%, while the Dow lost more than 440 points, or 0.9%. THE Nasdaq Composite outperformed, increasing by 0.2% on the day.
September, a historically weak month for stocks, was not kind to the S&P 500, which fell 0.5%. Investors have been grappling with rising oil prices and a rise in Treasury yields, fueling fears of further rate hikes. The Dow lost 4.3%, while the Nasdaq outperformed and gained 1.9% for the month.
Wednesday also marked the end of the third quarter. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq each rose about 2%, while the Dow lost 2.7%.
Investors are entering the new trading month with a view to more subdued inflation, still-high Treasury yields and uncertainty over the Federal Reserve’s next rate decision, expected in late October. They are also looking forward to a new round of corporate earnings reports.
“Even though these factors remain unfavorable, corporate earnings have continued to demonstrate resilience,” said Tracie McMillion, head of global asset allocation strategy at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute. “The key question is whether earnings strength can continue while borrowing costs remain high.”
Treasury yields climbed even as the personal consumption expenditures price index for August came in lighter than expected. The gauge is up 3.4% over the past 12 months, cooler than the Dow Jones consensus call of 3.7%.
THE Cash flow at 10 years The yield topped 5.3% at one point Wednesday, trading near 2007 highs. Return over 30 years exceeded 5.6%, reaching its highest level since 2002.
On Thursday, investors will digest the first unemployment claims, expected at 8:30 a.m. ET. This release will be followed by the September jobs report on Friday.
Nike will release its results after the bell.
Gn bussni
