Markets digest, 30 September 2026: Dow and S&P 500 slip as US commercial crude stocks rise
The Dow closed at 50,906.05 and the S&P 500 at 7,651.54, both lower, while the Nasdaq rose. EIA reported a small build in US commercial crude stocks.
US blue-chip stocks closed lower on Wednesday 30 September, while the Nasdaq Composite ended higher. The US Energy Information Administration’s weekly report showed commercial crude stocks edging up and fuel stocks falling.
Stocks
The S&P 500 closed at 7,651.54, down from 7,670.84 on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell to 50,906.05 from 51,349.92. The Nasdaq Composite was the exception, closing above Tuesday’s level. SEC staff also published a statement inviting comment on exchanges that own affiliated broker-dealers; our brief explains it.
Crypto
Bitcoin ended the day at $83,482.51 on Coinbase, down from $83,636.70. Ether rose to $2,682.34 from $2,677.04. In Europe, ESMA published its recommendations for the review of the EU’s crypto rules; read our brief.
Futures and options
The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) closed at 16.34, up from 16.04.
Energy and commodities
FRED’s latest oil prices are for Tuesday 29 September: WTI at $96.16 a barrel, down from $99.37 the day before, and Brent at $113.96, down from $119.97. Henry Hub natural gas was $3.18, up from $3.13.
In the week ending 25 September, US commercial crude stocks excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve rose by 0.922 million barrels to 427.320 million, according to the EIA. Total motor gasoline stocks fell by 1.683 million barrels and distillate fuel oil stocks by 2.251 million barrels. Our guide on what moves oil prices explains why these numbers matter.
Metals
There were no new official metals releases on the day. The latest CFTC Commitments of Traders report, with positions as of 22 September, showed non-commercial traders holding 253,982 long and 28,129 short COMEX gold futures contracts, with longs down 4,077 from the week before. See what moves gold prices.
Forex
The ECB’s euro reference rate against the dollar was 1.1355, unchanged from Tuesday. The euro was quoted at 0.85463 pounds, down from 0.85718, and at 178.27 yen, down from 178.41. In US Treasuries, the 10-year yield rose to 5.29% from 5.26%, and the 2-year yield eased to 4.88% from 4.89%.
- FRED: S&P 500 (SP500)
- FRED: Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)
- FRED: Coinbase Bitcoin (CBBTCUSD)
- FRED: Coinbase Ethereum (CBETHUSD)
- FRED: CBOE Volatility Index (VIXCLS)
- FRED: WTI crude oil, Cushing (DCOILWTICO)
- FRED: Brent crude oil, Europe (DCOILBRENTEU)
- FRED: Henry Hub natural gas spot price (DHHNGSP)
- EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report, Table 1 (week ending 25 September 2026)
- CFTC Commitments of Traders, COMEX futures only (positions as of 22 September 2026)
- ECB euro foreign exchange reference rates (USD, GBP, JPY), 29–30 September 2026
- FRED: 2-year Treasury yield (DGS2)
- FRED: 10-year Treasury yield (DGS10)
Markets: Stocks · Crypto · Futures & Options · Energy & Commodities · Metals · Forex
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