💰 $7.28T on the sidelines: will Friday’s PCE spark a move?

S&P 500: 6,664.36 | ↑0.92%

Nasdaq 100: 24,626.25 | ↑1.85%

Dow: 46,315.27 | ↑1.02%

Russell 2000: 2,448.77 | ↑1.91%

Gold/oz: $3,688.90 | ↑1.11%

Bitcoin (BTC): 115,649.00 | ↑0.29%

U.S. Dollar Index (DXY): 97.64 | ↑0.01%

Intel (INTC): ↑21.58% — Nvidia’s $5B investment + foundry backing turbocharged hopes for Intel’s turnaround.

Apple (AAPL): ↑3.59% — iPhone 17 launch buzz and reports of stronger entry model demand.

Alphabet (GOOGL): ↑4.11% — TikTok deal headlines buoyed ad-platform peers; sentiment lifted Alphabet shares.

Dexcom (DXCM): ↓11.76% — Short-seller report alleging G7 device issues sparked a sharp selloff.

Nike (NKE): ↓3.13% — Ongoing tariff costs and China demand worries kept pressure on shares.

The U.S. central bank cut rates 0.25% to 4.00–4.25%, citing softer jobs; one dissent wanted a bigger cut. Yields and stocks sent mixed signals afterward.

Nvidia’s $5B stake in Intel signaled policy-tailwind support for U.S. chipmaking, boosting capex hopes while raising long-run competition questions for peers.

TikTok ownership talks advanced with U.S. investors; Oracle seen benefiting, and headlines aided large ad platforms’ sentiment. Regulatory overhang remains a watch-item.

Oil slipped despite the Fed cut as supply stayed ample; meanwhile, proposed winter gas hikes from utilities like Eversource add pressure to households.

Long-term investors: Financials and quality regional banks look better as the yield curve* starts to re-steepen and financial conditions stay easy (NFCI* still negative). That backdrop usually helps banks’ net interest margins and credit creation. Watch credit: if high-yield spreads (HY OAS*) widen fast, trim risk.

Short-term traders: Semiconductors and AI-hardware are stretched into a heavy data/earnings week. Favor “first pullback after breakout” setups into Micron’s report and Friday’s Core PCE*; avoid holding full size through prints unless planned.

Mon, Sep 22 — Chicago Fed National Activity Index (Aug): Early read on growth momentum; soft print could aid rate-sensitives.

Mon, Sep 22 — Fed speakers all day: Tone on growth vs. inflation could sway the dollar and yields.

Tue, Sep 23 — S&P Global Flash PMIs* (Sep): Fresh gauge of manufacturing/services; watch prices and hiring components.

Tue, Sept 23 — Micron earnings (after-hours): AI memory demand read-through for semis, data centers, and capex.

Wed, Sep 24 — New Home Sales (Aug) & MBA apps: Housing reacts fast to policy; key for rates, homebuilders, and retail sentiment.

Thu, Sep 25 — GDP (Q2 third), Durable Goods (Aug), Jobless Claims: Growth vs. demand signals set tone into Friday inflation.

Fri, Sep 26 — Personal Income/Spending & Core PCE (Aug): The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge; shapes near-term cuts path.

Fri, Sep 26 — Costco earnings (after-hours): Big-box bellwether; traffic and member trends inform consumer strength.

Core PCE: Inflation excluding food and energy; Fed’s preferred gauge.

ETF: Fund trading like a stock that holds a basket of assets.

Flash PMI: Preliminary monthly business survey of activity and prices.

HY OAS (High-Yield Option-Adjusted Spread): Extra yield junk bonds pay over Treasuries.

Money market funds: Funds investing in short-term, high-quality cash instruments.

NFCI (National Financial Conditions Index): Weekly gauge of how tight or loose financial conditions are.

RSP (Equal-weight S&P): ETF weighting all S&P 500 stocks equally.

T-bill: Short-term U.S. government debt maturing within one year.

Yield curve: Line showing bond yields by maturity; slope signals growth outlook.