Monthly Archives: September 2026

The Weekly Update

Week of September 28th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks advanced last week as the broad market looked past inflationary pressures and focused on falling oil prices, declining bond yields, and ongoing diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.22 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 2.06 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.28 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, added 0.15 percent.

Choppy Trading
Stocks bolted out of the gate to start the week, rebounding thanks to AI stocks, falling oil prices, and bond yields. The Nasdaq hit a record intraday high during Monday’s session.

The broad market went sideways on Tuesday as traders kept an eye on developments in the Middle East, while oil prices and Treasury yields slid further.

Markets then fell midweek amid investor concerns over comments from one Fed official and two …

The Weekly Update

Week of September 21st, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks ended last week mixed as investors navigated the Fed’s rate decision, Treasury yields, oil prices, and the volatile AI trade.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index declined 0.09 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.72 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.70 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, skidded 1.32 percent.

Mixed Markets
Stocks opened lower to start the week as safety concerns tempered the artificial intelligence trade and oil prices rose. Markets slid again over the next session as the bellwether 10-year Treasury yield rose above 5 percent to a 19-year high.

Markets steadied midweek as investors awaited the Fed’s decision on the final day of its September meeting. The Fed raised short-term interest rates by a quarter percentage point in a widely anticipated decision, reflecting inflation concerns. Stocks fell following the …

The Weekly Update

Week of September 14th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks fell over a shortened trading week as higher oil prices rattled investors.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index declined 0.80 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index edged down 0.66 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.57 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, skidded 1.39 percent.

Sluggish Start
Stocks fell in response to higher oil prices at Tuesday’s opening bell as investors returned from the long Labor Day weekend. Investors kept one eye on diplomatic efforts in the Middle East and another on fresh inflation reports due out later in the week.

Stocks were under pressure again on Wednesday as oil prices continued climbing. After the Treasury Department announced it was tripling its long-dated debt buyback program (to as much as $6 billion), the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to a 3-year high. …

The Weekly Update

Week of September 7th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks were mixed last week as markets continued to navigate geopolitical concerns and new signals about short-term interest rates.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index edged up 0.09 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.40 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.27 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, skidded 0.25 percent.

Summer’s Final Act
Stocks fell modestly, and oil prices rose at the start of the week after renewed tensions in the Middle East put investors on edge. Longer-maturity Treasury bond yields also rose, adding pressure on stocks.

Stocks remained under pressure as global bond yields rose, with traders fretting that higher oil prices would stoke broader inflation. Benchmark government bond yields for the U.S., Germany, and Japan hit 20-month, 15-year, and 30-year highs, respectively.

But midweek, stocks rebounded after Fed Governor Christopher Waller suggested …