Evening Market Recap

Sophia Reyes · September 15, 2025 5:48 PM

Market Snapshot for Monday September 15^th, 2025

S&P 500 – 6,615.28 (+0.47%)

Dow Jones – 45,883.45 (+0.11%)

NASDAQ – 22,348.75 (+0.94%)

Market Performance

US Stocks Hit Record Highs as Investors Monitor Fed Meeting and US-China Trade Talks

US equities reached new record levels on Monday as investors tracked ongoing US-China trade discussions in Madrid and positioned themselves ahead of a crucial Federal Reserve meeting later this week.

The S&P 500 (^GSPC) climbed nearly 0.5% to close above 6,600 for the first time ever, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) surged roughly 0.9%, marking its sixth consecutive record close. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) edged up just over 0.1%, continuing its recent rebound.

The major indexes follow a strong week in which the Nasdaq and S&P 500 posted their best weekly gains since early August, while the Dow broke a two-week losing streak.

Economic Takeaways –

• The 30-year Treasury yield (^TYX) fell about 3 basis points to 4.65% after rising to nearly touch 5% earlier this month. The 10-year Treasury yield (^TNX) fell over 2 basis points to roughly 4.03%.
• US and Chinese officials met for another round of high-stakes trade negotiations in Madrid on Monday amid their ongoing trade conflict. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the countries agreed on a framework for a TikTok deal ahead of a planned US ban set for September 17. Shares of Oracle (ORCL), reportedly a potential buyer of the social media platform, jumped on the news.
• President Trump on Monday floated what to many in corporate America would be a welcome surprise — an end to the onerous cycle of preparing quarterly earnings. In a post on Truth Social,Trump’s social media platform, the president said companies should only be required to report financial results every six months, moving away from the quarterly reporting rhythm that defines the corporate calendar.
• Manufacturing activity in the New York Fed’s region fell sharply in September. The NY Fed’s Empire State Manufacturing Surveyshowed the general business conditions index this month fell to -8.7 from 11.9 in August. This marked a retreat after two straight months of positive readings.
• Uranium stocks soared as the US plans to boost strategic stockpile.

Gold –

• Gold surged to a new record high on Monday, as investors positioned themselves ahead of a widely anticipated easing of U.S. Federal Reserve monetary policy and looked for signals on the likelihood of further rate cuts later this year.
• Gold prices surged nearly 1% to hover at all-time highs as the US dollar eased ahead of this week’s highly anticipated Federal Reserve decision. Futures surged above $3,700 per troy ounce as investors expect policymakers to ease rates by at least 25 basis points this Wednesday. A lower interest rate environment makes the precious metal more attractive to investors against yield-bearing assets.

Oil –

• WTI crude trades higher after reports of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries overnight.
• Brent crude futures settled up 45 cents, or 0.67%, at $67.44 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled 61 cents higher, up 0.97%, at $63.30 a barrel.
• Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Crypto –

• Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that it had ordered the seizure of 187 cryptocurrency wallets allegedly tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a move aimed at disrupting the group’s alleged use of digital assets to fund terrorism.
• Bitcoin (BTC-USD) pared earlier losses on Monday, trading above $115,500 following its largest weekly gain in two months. The cryptocurrency is up roughly 23% year to date, despite September historically being a weaker month for bitcoin while altcoins attempt to catch up.
• Other major cryptocurrencies showed mixed performance: Ethereum (ETH-USD) slipped over 1% to around $4,500 per token, Solana (SOL-USD) dropped 4%, and XRP (XRP-USD) remained largely unchanged.

Former St. Louis Fed President Bullard Expresses Interest in Fed Chair Role

James Bullard, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, said Monday he recently spoke with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about the possibility of becoming Fed chair and is interested in the role under the right conditions.

“I’d be willing to take the job … if we’re set up for success,” Bullard told Reuters, emphasizing that success means defending the dollar’s reserve currency status, keeping inflation low and stable, and protecting the Fed’s independence.

Bullard, now Dean of the Mitch Daniels School of Business at Purdue University, led the St. Louis Fed from 2008 to 2023. His conversation comes as the Trump administration interviews candidates to replace Jerome Powell, whose term ends next May, though he could remain on the board until 2028.

Wedbush Adds MongoDB and Palo Alto Networks to Its “Best Ideas” List Amid AI-Driven Growth Potential

Wedbush analysts on Monday expanded their 14-stock “best ideas” list, adding two technology companies they believe are well-positioned to benefit from the ongoing surge in artificial intelligence demand: MongoDB (MDB), a database software firm, and Palo Alto Networks (PANW), a cybersecurity company.

For MongoDB, Wedbush raised its price target to $400 from $300, placing it among the highest analyst targets tracked by Visible Alpha, well above Monday’s closing price near $334. The firm highlighted that MongoDB is still in the early stages of capitalizing on AI-driven growth, saying, “We believe MDB has barely scratched the surface of its growth potential given the benefits from AI are still in the early innings.”

Palo Alto Networks, meanwhile, maintained a $225 target, modestly above the analyst consensus of $217 and Monday’s close around $201. Wedbush described a recent decline in the stock as a “golden buying opportunity,” pointing to broader trends in cybersecurity demand as AI-driven threats continue to expand.

Wedbush also noted Palo Alto Networks’ strategic moves to increase market share, including its acquisition of password management provider CyberArk and efforts to become a “one-stop shop” for cybersecurity solutions. The analysts called the CyberArk deal a “home run transaction” that they believe the market has yet to fully appreciate.

The Wedbush “best ideas” list also includes Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Tesla (TSLA), Western Digital (WDC), Check Point Software (CHKP), IBM (IBM), Imax (IMAX), Pegasystems (PEGA), Roblox (RBLX), Silicon Motion Technology (SIMO), and argenxSE (ARGX). Through the end of August, the list collectively rose more than 14%, outperforming the S&P 500’s approximate 11% gain. Over the same period, MongoDB shares climbed nearly 36%, while Palo Alto Networks gained around 5%.

With AI continuing to reshape enterprise software and cybersecurity, Wedbush sees both MongoDB and Palo Alto Networks as core beneficiaries of the next wave of technology spending, reinforcing their inclusion on the firm’s closely watched “best ideas” list.

Top Gainers

Several stocks experienced significant gains. Some of the top gainers included:

Energy Fuels, Inc. (UUUU) +15.84%

Oklo, Inc. (OKLO) +15.68%

Pony AI, Inc. (PONY) +10.94%

NexGen Energy (NXE) +10.62%

Uranium Energy (UEC) +10.62%

Top Losers

The top US stock losers today, based on percentage change included:

Jyong Biotech Ltd. (MENS) -15.74%

Stride, Inc. (LRN) -11.75%

Avidity Biosciences (RNA) -10.10%

Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) -8.20%

Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) -7.40%

Notables

• McDonald’s (MCD) said Monday it plans to invest $200 million over the next seven years to promote regenerative agriculture practiceson cattle ranches.
• Apple’s (AAPL) iOS 26 software update for iPhones is available Monday to people who have an iPhone 11, iPhone SE 2, and later.
• Nvidia (NVDA) shares dipped slightly after reports from China indicated a preliminary antitrust probe against the AI chipmaker.
• Tesla (TSLA) surged more than 3%, turning positive for the year following news that CEO Elon Musk purchased $1 billion in shares, signaling strong confidence in the company.
• Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) shares rose 3.6% Monday and touched an all-time high above $251.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Micron (MU) ahead of next week’s earnings report, pushing the chipmaker’s shares about 1% higher before the bell. Union Pacific (UNP) is also trading higher after Citi raised its rating to “buy” from “neutral” and increased its price target.
• Pfizer (PFE) and Moderna (MRNA) fell Friday after a Washington Post report said the Trump administration plans to link COVID vaccines to the deaths of 25 children.
• High-end furniture retailer RH (RH) slumped Friday after missing earnings estimates and issuing weaker full-year guidance tied to rising tariff-related costs. CEO Gary Friedman warned on the call that furniture retailers may need deep discounts to spur demand amid a weak housing market and accelerating inflation.
• Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) added another 16.7% Friday following its double-digit rally Thursday. The Wall Street Journal reported Paramount Skydance (PSKY) is preparing a takeover bid backed by the Ellison family.
• Palantir (PLTR), Super Micro Computer (SMCI), AppLovin (APP) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) all supported the Nasdaq Composite Friday. The “Magnificent Seven” also finished strong, led by TSLA, with Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Meta Platforms (META), Nvidia (NVDA) and Alphabet (GOOGL) advancing on optimism ahead of earnings season. Nvidia, however, slipped nearly 2% early Monday after Chinese regulators said the company violated anti-monopoly laws in its Mellanox acquisition.

What to Watch Ahead

Investors are now focused on the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting scheduled for Wednesday. Traders priced in a 96% probability of a quarter-point rate cut, with a 4% chance of a larger reduction as of Monday midday.

Analysts expect that a Fed easing could further fuel equities, particularly amid ongoing enthusiasm around AI-driven growth and innovation. Market participants will also be watching whether Stephen Miran is sworn in as a Fed governor in time to vote at this week’s FOMC meeting.

“I think you have a big cut,” Trump said on his way back to Washington. “It’s perfect for cutting.”

Yahoo Finance’s Allie Canal and Jake Conley spell out what to watch:

Alongside its policy decision, the Fed will release its quarterly “dot plot” — a snapshot of policymakers’ projections for the path of interest rates.

In June, officials penciled in two rate cuts for 2025, although the forecasts revealed a more divided committee. Seven members saw no cuts at all, compared with four in March. Powell acknowledged the divergence at the time, stressing that “right now it’s just a forecast in a very foggy time.”

Investors will be looking for more clarity this week, but the backdrop isn’t straightforward.

Tariffs are increasingly feeding into inflation after US customs duties surged to a record $29.5 billion in August following President Trump’s new “reciprocal” levies. … At the same time, labor market weakness has become harder to ignore.