The Dow Jones Futures (YM=F) was up 139.00 (0.2688%) points today, Wednesday, September 30th, 2026, as investors reacted to a complex mix of cooling inflation data and shifting corporate guidance. The primary narrative driving the session is the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, which indicated a steady path toward the Federal Reserve's long-term targets. This economic backdrop has bolstered industrial and semiconductor sectors, even as high interest rates continue to weigh on consumer discretionary spending and home improvement giants.
Leading the blue-chip index, 3M (MMM) was up 3.70% to $148.62, buoyed by a positive settlement update regarding legacy legal liabilities. The technology sector also provided significant support, with Nvidia (NVDA) up 1.77% to $225.01 and Cisco Systems (CSCO) up 1.33% to $100.48. In the healthcare space, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) saw a gain of 1.61% to $227.63, while UnitedHealth Group (UNH) rose 1.00% to $399.64, reflecting a broader rotation into defensive value stocks amid late-quarter volatility.
Conversely, the market faced downward pressure from the retail and enterprise tech sectors. IBM (IBM) was down 2.42% to $213.40 following a cautious outlook on global consulting spend. Home Depot (HD) was down 2.14% to $303.85 as housing market activity remains constrained by elevated mortgage rates. Other notable laggards included Salesforce (CRM), which was down 1.64%, and American Express (AXP), which was down 1.27%, as concerns linger regarding the resilience of high-end consumer credit.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.