Today At A Glance:

U.S. stocks fell for a third straight session as stronger-than-expected data (jobless claims, GDP revision, durable orders) tempered hopes for rapid Fed easing. By the close the S&P 500 −0.5%, Dow −0.4%, and Nasdaq −0.5%, with semiconductors and communication services leading the pullback. Rate-cut odds for the next meeting edged lower while Treasury yields and the dollar firmed, keeping pressure on high-multiple tech. Stock stories were mixed: CarMax plunged on weak results; Oracle slipped after a big bond sale and a fresh Sell rating; IBM jumped on quantum-computing headlines with HSBC.

Bright spots included Intel (on Apple investment chatter) and Lithium Americas (continuing a two-day surge on potential U.S. stake news).

Today’s Index Performance

• Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) — The Dow opened today at 46,097.43 and closed today at 45,919.29, with the percentage change of −0.44%.
• S&P 500 (^GSPC) — The S&P 500 opened today at 6,605.36 and closed today at 6,602.96, with the percentage change of −0.53%.
• Nasdaq Composite — The Nasdaq opened today at 22,318.77 and closed today at 22,382.51, with the percentage change of −0.51%.

Gainers Of Note:

• Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) – Semiconductor & foundry; rose ~6% after reports it approached Apple about a potential investment/collaboration.
• IBM (NYSE: IBM) – Hybrid cloud & enterprise tech; +~5% after HSBC said a quantum-computing pilot improved bond-trade fill-rate predictions.
• Lithium Americas (NYSE: LAC) – Lithium development; +~16% as the stock extended Wednesday’s rally tied to potential U.S. government equity involvement.

Losers Of Note:

• CarMax (NYSE: KMX) – Used-car retailer; −~20% on a profit miss and weaker unit sales.
• Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) – Enterprise software & cloud; −~5% after pricing an $18B bond deal and picking up a new Sell rating.
• Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) – Copper & gold; −~5% as investors reacted to reduced Q3 output expectations.

Active Traders Of Note

• Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) – AI/GPU leader; heavy volume as chip stocks slid and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell ~2% on the day.
• Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) – Coffee chain; active after unveiling a $1B restructuring plan (store closures and layoffs).
• Costco (NASDAQ: COST) – Wholesale retail; busy tape ahead of earnings after the close.

Looking Forward:

All eyes turn to Friday’s PCE inflation—the Fed’s preferred gauge—for confirmation that disinflation is intact even as growth remains resilient.

Into month-end, expect continued dispersion: AI/semis and other high-multiple groups may stay rate-sensitive, while value/cyclicals trade off data and commodity moves. Policy risk (including shutdown chatter) and any fresh guidance from Fed officials could keep intraday swings elevated.

Note: The stock performance summaries are based on general trends observed over the past ten trading days and are not indicative of future results.

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