U.S. Stock Market Recap - September 30th 2025

Daily Market Moves

Wall Street extended its September rally into the final session, with the Dow setting a fresh record close, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq logged modest gains. Tech and AI-related names helped underpin sentiment, even as concerns over a possible government shutdown lingered. 

Major Index Performance

• Dow Jones: +0.2% → ~ 46,397.89 

• S&P 500: +0.4% → ~ 6,688.46 

• Nasdaq Composite: +0.3% → ~ 22,660.01 

Drivers & Highlights

• Tech & AI strength: Nvidia broke out to new highs amid optimism around AI infrastructure investments. 

• Policy / Shutdown risk: The specter of a U.S. government shutdown weighed on investor sentiment, especially given the potential disruption to economic data releases. 

  Notable movers: 

• Wolfspeed extended its rally after emerging from bankruptcy. 

• CoreWeave jumped after clinching a major cloud deal with Meta. 

• Pfizer gained after unveiling a new drug-pricing platform and securing tariff relief. 

• Spotify fell ~4% following the announcement that CEO Daniel Ek will step down in 2026. 

• Intel dipped after recent strong gains, as some profit‐taking emerged. 

Other Markets

• The 10-year Treasury yield held relatively steady near recent levels as markets digested mixed data and policy uncertainty. 

• Gold climbed to fresh highs amid safe-haven demand and dollar softness. 

• Cryptos & digital assets saw weaker performance, with names like Coinbase under pressure. 

• The U.S. dollar softened against major currencies, which gave multinational stocks some tailwind. 

Key Takeaway

The market enters Q4 riding solid momentum, especially from tech and AI leadership. Still, the shadow of a government shutdown and potential disruptions to economic reporting pose a risk. Earnings, Fed signals, and policy clarity will likely determine whether momentum carries through or volatility resurfaces.