Today At A Glance:

U.S. stocks finished mixed as investors weighed the rising odds of a federal government shutdown; the S&P 500 drifted near flat, the Nasdaq slipped a touch, and the Dow eked out a small gain. Caution centered on worries that a shutdown could delay key economic reports, even as September/3Q still shaped up as a winning stretch for equities. Job openings surprised to the upside while consumer confidence fell more than expected, underscoring a muddled macro read. Energy lagged with oil easing, and gold cooled from recent records as haven flows moderated. Traders also digested big single-stock swings—from Wolfspeed’s surge on a bankruptcy exit to pullbacks in names like Spotify and Paychex.

Today’s Index Performance:

• Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) — The Dow opened today at 46,282.63 and closed today at 46,382.61, a +0.22% move from open to close.
• Nasdaq Composite — The Nasdaq opened today at 22,580.36 and closed today at 22,613.39, a +0.15% move from open to close.
• S&P 500 (^GSPC) — The S&P 500 opened today at 6,656.19 and closed today at 6,655.65, a -0.01% move from open to close.

Gainers Of Note:

• Wolfspeed (NYSE: WOLF) — Silicon-carbide chips; soared after the company exited Chapter 11, slashing debt and interest costs as part of its restructuring.
• Lamb Weston (NYSE: LW) — Frozen potato products; jumped on a quarterly beat (EPS and revenue) and reaffirmed outlook, with details in its Q1 FY26 release.
• Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) — Pharmaceuticals; climbed on reports of a White House deal for lower Medicaid drug prices and a forthcoming TrumpRx portal, improving pricing optics.

Losers Of Not:

• Spotify (NYSE: SPOT) — Streaming audio; fell after founder Daniel Ek said he’ll step down as CEO and become executive chairman in 2026, with co-CEOs named.
• Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) — Payroll/HR services; slipped after results and guidance disappointed parts of the Street, making it one of the session’s notable decliners.
• Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) — Semiconductors/foundry; dropped ~3% amid continuing skepticism toward its turnaround and capital needs; shares traded heavily.

Active Traders Of Note:

• Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) — EVs; heavy volume as traders positioned for Q3 delivery headlines and the U.S. EV tax-credit sunset dynamics, with China data firming into quarter-end.
• Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) — AI semis; active amid momentum buying and fresh price-target chatter, with shares flirting with record levels.
• Nike (NYSE: NKE) — Athletic apparel; busy tape ahead of after-the-bell earnings, with investors focused on margins and turnaround commentary.

Looking Forward:

The shutdown deadline hits 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday, and a lapse could delay federal economic data that markets rely on for rate-cut handicapping. Early-October macro (e.g., ISM manufacturing and private-payroll reads) plus mega-cap tech leadership will set the tone for Q4 after a strong September. Company-specific catalysts (including tonight’s Nike print and upcoming automaker delivery updates) keep single-stock volatility in play even if index moves stay contained.

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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