Markets digest, 8 October 2026: Nasdaq and Bitcoin fall as the Dow edges up

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite closed lower on Thursday 8 October while the Dow edged up. Bitcoin and Ether fell again, and the euro’s reference rate rose against the dollar, the pound and the yen. The ECB published the account of its September meeting.

Stocks

The S&P 500 closed at 7,765.36, down from 7,801.77 on Wednesday. The Nasdaq Composite fell to 27,193.340 from 27,538.690, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to 51,231.64 from 51,179.87.

Crypto

Bitcoin ended the day at $81,657.19 on Coinbase, down from $83,239.49 on Wednesday. Ether fell to $2,472.49 from $2,572.06.

Futures and options

FRED had not yet published Thursday’s VIX close; the latest figure is 15.08, for Wednesday. There were no new CFTC releases on Thursday.

Energy and commodities

FRED’s oil and gas prices still run to Tuesday 6 October: WTI at $96.24 a barrel, Brent at $125.44 and Henry Hub natural gas at $3.03. The EIA’s storage report on Thursday put working gas at 3,500 Bcf in the week to 2 October, a net increase of 85 Bcf. That was 130 Bcf less than a year earlier and 68 Bcf above the five-year average of 3,432 Bcf.

Metals

There were no new official metals releases from the World Gold Council or the LBMA on Thursday.

Forex

The ECB’s euro reference rate against the dollar was 1.1186, up from 1.1177 on Wednesday. The euro was quoted at 0.84698 pounds, up from 0.84645, and at 177.05 yen, up from 176.85. The ECB’s account of its September meeting showed all members backed the 25 basis point rise; read our brief. FRED’s latest Treasury yields are for Wednesday: 5.28% for the 10-year and 4.77% for the 2-year.