Thursday, October 1, 2026

U.S. equities edged higher to kick off October, shaking off 24-year highs in Treasury yields after a resilient batch of economic data. The S&P 500 added 0.19% to finish at 7,666.45, while the Dow Jones and Nasdaq both eked out 0.04% advances to 50,926.56 and 26,871.596, respectively. The small-cap Russell 2000 led the indices with a 0.35% gain to 2,806.625, and the VIX crept up 0.31% to 16.39 as investors digested a surprise drop in jobless claims (197,000) and an upward Q2 GDP revision (2.2%) that may embolden further Fed tightening.

Sectors in focus:

• Energy and Tech outpace: WTI Crude surged 2.69% to 92.85 after China suspended most October fuel exports, tightening a market already strained by Middle East naval deployments and stalled U.S.-Iran diplomacy. This drove Petroleum Refining up 3.31% on rising crack spreads. Wholesale Computers & Peripheral Equipment (+4.24%) and Printed Circuit Boards (+3.01%) led the broader market thanks to robust AI infrastructure demand, fueled by strong Micron earnings and a $1 billion custom silicon pact between Synopsys and Amazon. Safe-haven Gold also caught a bid, rising 0.42% to 4,204.3.
• Healthcare and Broadcasting lag: The 10-year Treasury yield's climb to 5.33% and the 30-year reaching 5.67% pressured rate-sensitive groups. Television Broadcasting Stations plunged 3.72%, while medical and biotech industries dominated the downside, including Laboratory Analytical Instruments (-3.06%), Commercial Physical & Biological Research (-2.73%), and Pharmaceutical Preparations (-2.25%).

On the radar:

• Oct 02: Nonfarm Payrolls (100k exp.) and Unemployment Rate (4.2% exp.)
• Oct 05: ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI
• Oct 06: EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) release
• Oct 08: Weekly Initial Jobless Claims
• Oct 13: IMF World Economic Outlook full report (Bangkok)
• Oct 14: Consumer Price Index (CPI) for September