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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →U.S. stocks ended the week of September 28–October 2, 2026, with mixed results: the Nasdaq gained 0.5%, while the S&P 500, Dow and Russell 2000 declined. Friday brought a broad rally after a weaker-than-expected September jobs report, but that one-day move did not erase the indexes’ different full-week performances.
How did the major indexes perform this week?
For the full week, the Nasdaq was the only one of the four indexes listed by the Associated Press to finish higher. The Russell 2000, which tracks smaller companies, was close to flat, while the S&P 500 and Dow fell.
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| Index | Weekly change |
|---|---|
| Nasdaq | +0.5% |
| S&P 500 | −0.3% |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | −1.3% |
| Russell 2000 | −0.2% |
These are full-week returns reported by the Associated Press, not Friday-only moves. The spread between the Nasdaq and Dow also means “the market” did not have a single uniform result. Associated Press weekly market report.
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Why did stocks rise after the jobs report?
MarketBeat framed Friday’s rally as a “bad news being good news” response: September payroll growth was weaker than expected, which it said softened market expectations for an October Federal Reserve rate increase. MarketBeat also pointed to lower oil prices and a lower 10-year Treasury yield as support for risk appetite. Those are explanations offered by MarketBeat, not proof that one report or factor caused the entire week’s market performance. Policy expectations are time-sensitive; this framing refers to the market backdrop on October 2. MarketBeat’s week-in-review roundup, syndicated by inkl.
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What did the September jobs report show?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 29,000 in September 2026, and unemployment was 4.2%. Average hourly earnings rose 0.1% from August and 3.0% over the year. The agency also revised July and August payroll changes down by a combined 60,000.
Those measures describe different parts of the labor market: payroll growth counts jobs added, unemployment measures the share of the labor force without a job and seeking work, and earnings track pay. Read together, they provide more context than the headline payroll number alone. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 2026 Employment Situation.
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What did inflation and consumer spending show?
The latest personal-consumption data available in the roundup covered August 2026. The Bureau of Economic Analysis said its headline PCE price index rose 0.3% from July and 3.4% over the year. Core PCE prices, which exclude food and energy, rose 0.2% month over month and 3.0% year over year. Real personal consumption expenditures increased 0.6% in August.
These figures add a separate perspective to the jobs report: inflation measures price changes, while real PCE measures consumer spending adjusted for inflation. They are August readings, not September inflation data. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Personal Income and Outlays, August 2026.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What companies and themes did MarketBeat cover?
MarketBeat’s roundup is a selection of its company and investing stories, not a systematic survey of every market development or independent verification of each company claim. Its subjects included:
- Company results and capital decisions: CarMax’s fiscal second quarter and planned return to share buybacks; Starbucks store closures; and O’Reilly Automotive and First Watch.
- Technology and AI: a reported $5.7 billion patent verdict involving Apple; Meta’s Muse AI agent and e-commerce; Broadcom and an Anthropic commitment; the possibility of an Anthropic IPO; and Taiwan Semiconductor’s 2-nanometer chips.
- Infrastructure and industrials: Oracle’s force-majeure notice on a data-center project involving CoreWeave; Rocket Lab; Boeing’s fighter contract; and geothermal energy.
- Other market topics: Deutsche Bank’s Netflix upgrade alongside a lower price target; McDonald’s proposed data-driven pricing recommendations for franchisees; Six Flags’ buy-now-pay-later season-pass option and activist pressure; office REITs; cybersecurity firms; defense and semiconductor themes; bond ETFs; fertilizer stocks; and share buybacks.
The roundup’s descriptions identify what its articles covered; they should not be read as a complete account of the underlying companies or as investment recommendations. MarketBeat’s week-in-review roundup, syndicated by inkl.
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