Daily News
Nasdaq Jumps 2% to Record Close as AI Stocks Surge; Gold Slips Toward $4,300 on Hawkish Fed; Crude Rebounds Above $93 Amid Iran Diplomacy; Bitcoin Tops $86,000, Highest Since January
22 September 2026
Today in Brief
In Asia, the Kospi advanced 1.52% and the small-cap Kosdaq added 0.35%, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was 0.15% higher, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.36%, and mainland China’s CSI 300 was 0.51% higher, while Japan’s markets were closed for a holiday. U.S. stocks rose on Monday as AI-related names surged — the S&P 500 climbed 1.49% to 7,764.70, the Nasdaq Composite gained 2.26% for a record close of 27,122.09, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 366.19 points, or 0.71%, to 52,048.83, with Intel up 12%, AMD up nearly 10% (crossing $1 trillion in market cap), and Qualcomm up more than 9%. Gold fell toward $4,300 an ounce on hawkish comments from Fed officials Austan Goolsbee and Alberto Musalem, while crude oil rose above $93 per barrel after four consecutive losing sessions amid easing Middle East supply concerns and growing US-Iran diplomatic efforts.
In other news: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will lead Iran’s delegation at the UN General Assembly in New York from Sept. 22 to 26 and 28, renewing hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the Middle East conflict; Bitcoin rose above $86,000, its highest level since January, as investors debate whether the “crypto winter” is over; U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC all Iranian airlines will be shut down from Sept. 23; President Trump said the DOJ will rein in AI “if we have to”; India’s National Stock Exchange IPO drew more than $10 billion in bids, valuing it above Nasdaq; AMD joined the $1 trillion market cap club; Roblox shares rose over 7% on a JPMorgan note citing a weekend engagement surge; and Meta’s new AI agent “Muse” helped trigger an 11%-plus rally in Meta shares alongside a broader chip and tech rally.
In Asia, the Kospi advanced 1.52%, while the small-cap Kosdaq added 0.35%
In Asia, the Kospi advanced 1.52%, while the small-cap Kosdaq added 0.35%. Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 was 0.15% higher. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 0.36%, while mainland China’s CSI 300 was0.51% higher. Japan’s markets are closed for a holiday. The action came after a jump in AI-related names lifted the major US averages. The S&P 500 climbed 1.5% to post its best day since Aug. 4, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 2.3% for its first closing record since June. The Dow Industrials rose 366 points, or 0.7%.
Nasdaq jumps 2% to close at a record, buoyed by surge in AI stocks, as well as cooling oil and yields
U.S. stocks rose on Monday as key technology names advanced and oil prices and Treasury yields slipped, with Wall Street looking to recover from a mostly lower week. The S&P 500 climbed 1.49% to end at 7,764.70, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 2.26% for a record close of 27,122.09 — its first since June. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 366.19 points, or 0.71%, to settle at 52,048.83. The broader market was supported by a rise in artificial intelligence-related stocks. Shares of Intel popped 12%, while Advanced Micro Devices added about 10% and hit $1 trillion in market cap. Others such as Qualcomm increased more than 9% as well.
Gold fell toward $4,300 an ounce on Tuesday, extending losses from the previous session
Gold fell toward $4,300 an ounce on Tuesday, extending losses from the previous session as hawkish comments from Federal Reserve officials strengthened expectations for further US interest rate hikes. On Monday, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said the central bank must account for persistent supply shocks, while St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem said additional increases may be needed to bring inflation toward the Fed’s target. Meanwhile, falling oil prices offered some support for gold amid increased diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East conflict and signs of continued energy flows from the region. President Trump is due to address the UN General Assembly in New York later today and may meet Iranian President Pezeshkian on the sidelines.
Crude oil rose above $93 per barrel on Tuesday after falling for four consecutive sessions
Crude oil rose above $93 per barrel on Tuesday after falling for four consecutive sessions, but held most of the decline amid easing supply concerns in the Middle East and growing diplomatic efforts to end the US-Iran war. President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly in New York later today and could meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines. Trump is also expected to hold discussions with other Gulf nations and Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has proposed a $5 billion fund to help rebuild infrastructure across the Middle East damaged by the war. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, moved crude through the Strait of Hormuz at 2.9 million barrels per day over the past six days.
Iranian President Pezeshkian to head to New York for UN meeting as Trump warns of no-deal consequences
President Masoud Pezeshkian will lead an Iranian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, amid renewed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the Middle East conflict. Pezeshkian will address the assembly and present Iran’s positions on “international developments,” according to the country’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, with a particular focus on its war with the U.S. and Israel. He will also hold talks with the leaders of several countries on the sidelines of the event, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 22 to 26, and 28. X`1The Iranian delegation’s attendance at the UN has renewed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the war, lifting market sentiment on Monday, with stocks rising, oil prices easing and global bond yields falling sharply.
Bitcoin hits highest level since January at $86,000, as the market debates whether the ‘crypto winter’ is over
Bitcoin rose above $86,000 on Monday as the cryptocurrency continued its sharp rally over the past few days. Bitcoin was trading at $85,863.40, up around 5.8%, according to CoinMetrics. Earlier in the day, the cryptocurrency rose as high as $86,349.90, its highest level since late Jan. 29. Investors are assessing whether the “crypto winter” — a depressed period of digital asset prices — which began after bitcoin hit an all-time high of over $126,000 in October 2025, is over. “I do think it’s over, it’s crypto spring, the crocuses are blooming,” Matt Hougan, CIO at Bitwise, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Monday. “I think this will actually be the strongest and longest-running bull market in crypto’s history.”
All Iranian airlines to be ‘shut down’ from Wednesday, Bessent tells CNBC
All Iranian airlines will be shut down from Sept. 23, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Speaking to CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Bessent added, “How do we do that? That if they land, you cannot provide them with fuel. You cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system.” The Treasury Secretary said that Washington was pressuring Iran “like never before,” saying that the U.S. was putting a stop to Iran’s enablers around the world, such as sanctioning banks. Last week, the Treasury announced new sanctions on Russia’s state-controlled VTB Bank as part of its effort to economically isolate Iran by targeting its business partners and other financial “enablers.”
Trump says DOJ will rein in AI ‘if we have to’
President Donald Trump said Monday that the Department of Justice and other U.S. law enforcement agencies will rein in risks associated with artificial intelligence “if we have to.” “We will be careful,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. Trump’s mention of the DOJ as a backstop came as he again downplayed potential dangers from AI, which he has repeatedly called a hoax in the past two weeks, after Jacob Coxon, an AI researcher at Anthropic, quit his job and warned that that company and OpenAI are “gambling with our lives” with the technology. The president has touted AI development by American companies as a competitive advantage for the United States, which he wants to maintain.
Investors rush into India’s National Stock Exchange IPO at valuation multiple above Nasdaq
The $2.3 billion initial public offer of shares in India’s National Stock Exchange has received a frenzied response from investors, drawing bids worth more than $10 billion despite its hefty price-to-earnings multiple, which values it above several U.S. stock exchange businesses such as Nasdaq. Driven by strong demand from institutional and high-net-worth buyers, the NSE IPO secured bids for 505.81 million shares on Monday, 5.7 times the 88.64 million shares on offer. As part of the IPO, the company also raised 67.5 billion rupees ($704 million) last week from anchor investors such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and India’s top life insurer Life Insurance Corporation of India. The NSE IPO is the country’s biggest listing so far this year and the second largest ever after Hyundai Motor India’s share offer of $3.3 billion in 2024.
AMD joins $1 trillion market cap club on AI computing bets
Advanced Micro Devices briefly surpassed $1 trillion in market capitalization for the first time on Monday, becoming the fourth U.S. chipmaker to reach the milestone as investors increase their bets on the company’s growing presence in AI computing. The Santa Clara, California-based company’s shares rose nearly 10% to $615.52, after reaching an all-time high of $613.92, pushing its valuation just over $1 trillion. AMD joins Nvidia, Broadcom, and Micron as the only U.S. chipmakers to achieve a $1 trillion valuation. Nvidia first crossed the mark in 2023 and is now valued at more than $5 trillion, making it the world’s most valuable company. AMD is widely regarded as the closest competitor to Nvidia for graphics processing units.
Roblox shares rise as JPMorgan notes surge in weekend platform engagement
Roblox Corp shares advanced over 7% in Monday trading following fresh weekly engagement data from JPMorgan that highlighted a sharp weekend spike in platform usage. The uptick came as JPMorgan analyst Cory Carpenter reiterated a Neutral rating and $40.00 price target on the online gaming platform, citing encouraging progress in discovery algorithm performance despite broader seasonal pressure. Peak concurrent users across the entire platform reached 28.7 million on Saturday, marking the highest single-day user concentration since mid-December of last year. The weekend surge was driven largely by breakout popularity in viral titles, notably “Steal An Egg,” which saw peak concurrent users jump to 14.3 million from 9.9 million the previous week, and newcomer “Ride A Pet,” which attracted roughly 800,000 peak users in its second week.
Meta AI agent ‘Muse’ triggers massive tech rally as chips and Wall Street soar
Technology stocks roared back on Monday, propelled by a powerful rally over 11% in Meta Platforms and semiconductor leaders as Wall Street recognized that consumer “agentic” AI may have finally reached a mainstream tipping point. At the center of the surge is growing market optimism surrounding Meta’s recently launched consumer AI assistant, Muse. Unlike conventional conversational chatbots, agentic assistants like Muse execute autonomous, multi-step tasks—such as booking travel, managing calendars, and making e-commerce purchases—in the background on behalf of users.