US: Nasdaq notches record high close, traders look to Fed meeting

The Nasdaq notched a record high close on Friday (Sep 12) in a mixed trading session, lifted by Microsoft as investors looked ahead to the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting next week, when it is widely expected to cut interest rates to counter a slowdown in the jobs market.

Lifted by Tesla and other technology-related stocks, the Nasdaq added to a rally in the previous session that saw all three indices hit all-time highs. Investors are laser-focused on the Fed’s meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. Traders expect the central bank to cut interest rates by 25 basis points after recent data showed longstanding weakness in hiring and easing inflation concerns.

“Because we had such a nice jump in the stock market yesterday, investors are basically catching their breath,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist of CFRA Research. “There’s really not going to be any data between now and Wednesday. It’s a sort of wait-and-see attitude.”

Microsoft gained after the technology giant avoided a possible hefty European Union antitrust fine by offering customers reduced prices for Office products excluding Teams. Tesla jumped after board chair Robyn Denholm dismissed concerns that chief executive Elon Musk’s political activity had hurt sales at the electric-vehicle maker and said the billionaire was “front and centre” at the company after several months at the White House. With Friday’s surge, Tesla shares remain down 2 per cent in 2025.

Declines in Goldman Sachs and paint-maker Sherwin-Williams kept the Dow Jones Industrial Average in negative territory. The University of Michigan’s survey showed US consumer sentiment fell for a second straight month in September as consumers saw rising risks to business conditions, the labour market and inflation.

According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 lost 3.47 points or 0.05 per cent to end at 6,584 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 96.38 points or 0.4 per cent to 22,139.46. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 273.44 points or 0.6 per cent to 45,834.56.

SEE ALSO

Following signs of a worsening jobs market, interest rate futures reflect expectations of cuts totalling 75 basis points by the end of the year. All three major indices gained for the week, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq lifted by a revival in artificial intelligence trade after cloud computing giant Oracle’s strong forecast on Tuesday.

Warner Bros Discovery extended a surge from Wednesday, when a source said Paramount Skydance was preparing a bid for the struggling media company. Shares of vaccine makers fell after a report said US health officials are planning to link coronavirus vaccines to the deaths of 25 children. REUTERS