Stock Market Midday, Sept. 30: Markets Rise on Softer Inflation Data, Investors Await Micron Earnings
As of 11:37 AM ET, the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) is up 1.02% to 27,072, the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) has climbed 0.58% to 7,715, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI) slipped 0.03% to 51,336 following softer-than-expected inflation data.
Gold is down 0.60% to $4,157.79, and the 10-Year Treasury yield is up 2 basis points to 5.28%. Communication and utilities are leading the session gainers, while financial services and consumer defensive stocks are underperforming.
Today’s biggest moves
Robinhood Markets fell despite positive analyst reaction to the launch of its AI-driven strategy tools. Investors are watching sector bellwether Micron Technology, when it reports earnings after the bell for guidance about the sustainability of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. Moderna tumbled over 7% after a Citi downgrade.
What this means for investors
Positive news on the inflation front boosted stocks this morning, as August’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index showed a 3.4% gain year-on-year. The number was lower than expected, and traders reduced their expectations of an October rate hike.
Meanwhile, concentration risk is back in the spotlight. The danger here is that if a couple of the big AI hyperscalers slip, it could have an oversized impact on the rest of the market. Plus, although major U.S. indexes are near all-time highs and appear relatively calm, single-stock volatility is rising. Market breadth — the ratio of winning vs. losing stocks — is deteriorating. Diversification and risk management are key.
Should you buy stock in S&P 500 Index right now?
Before you buy stock in S&P 500 Index, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and S&P 500 Index wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $379,123!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,396,103!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 933% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 212% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of September 30, 2026.
