📈 Market Recap – September 16, 2025

Good Evening, here’s a look back at yesterday’s trading session on Wall Street.

🔹 Market Snapshot

S&P 500: 6,606.76 (-0.1%)

Dow Jones: 45,757.90 (-0.3%, -125 pts)

Nasdaq Composite: (-0.1%)

Russell 2000: (-0.1%)

A modest pullback across all major indexes as traders stayed cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy decision.

🔹 What Moved the Market

Federal Reserve Meeting – Investors are widely expecting a 25bps rate cut tomorrow, the first of 2025. Markets are watching closely for guidance on whether more cuts are coming this year.

Retail Sales Surprise – August sales came in stronger than expected, signaling consumer strength but complicating the Fed’s easing path.

Labor Market Softness – Signs of cooling employment continue to support the case for gradual cuts.

🔹 Stock & Sector Highlights

Dave & Buster’s (PLAY): -17% after missing sales and earnings expectations.

Oracle (ORCL): Gained on speculation of U.S.-China TikTok deal ties, plus strong recent earnings.

Tesla (TSLA): Climbed after Elon Musk disclosed a $1B share purchase.

Financials: Regional banks lagged the market.

Energy: Stronger oil prices boosted the sector.

🔹 The Bigger Picture

Markets recently touched record highs, making yesterday’s dip feel like a pause before the Fed.

September is historically a weaker month for stocks — analysts caution that volatility could pick up.

Valuations remain stretched, leaving little room for disappointing data or a hawkish Fed tone.

🔹 Looking Ahead

Fed decision tomorrow: All eyes on Powell’s press conference.

Key data: Labor, inflation, and spending reports will shape rate-cut expectations.

Earnings season: Watch for consumer-facing companies to guide outlooks as inflation and rates shift.

✅ That’s your daily market recap — stay tuned for tomorrow’s update following the Fed’s announcement.