The Dow Jones Futures (YM=F) was up 90.00 (0.17%) points today, reaching a level of 51,807.00 as market participants balanced optimistic industrial earnings against a cooling tech and retail sector. The primary narrative driving the market today, Friday, September 25, 2026, is the resilience of industrial and healthcare blue-chips following a favorable Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index report. This economic data suggests that while inflation remains sticky in certain service categories, the broader cooling trend is providing the Federal Reserve with sufficient room to maintain a neutral policy stance, bolstering investor confidence in "old economy" stocks.
Leading the gainers today is 3M (MMM), which was up 3.70% to $148.62 following a positive analyst upgrade regarding its streamlined manufacturing operations. In the semiconductor space, Nvidia (NVDA) was up 1.77% to $225.01, continuing to attract capital as AI infrastructure spending remains a dominant theme. Other notable performers include Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), which was up 1.61% to $227.63, and Cisco Systems (CSCO), which was up 1.33% to $100.48, as defensive positioning favored healthcare and networking stability.
Conversely, the index faced downward pressure from the technology and consumer discretionary sectors. IBM (IBM) was down 2.42% to $213.40, serving as the day's steepest decliner amid concerns over slowing enterprise software consulting margins. Home improvement giant Home Depot (HD) was down 2.14% to $303.85, as higher-for-longer mortgage rates continue to dampen outlooks for the housing renovation market. Additionally, Salesforce (CRM) was down 1.64% to $168.45, and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) was down 1.36% to $307.61, reflecting a broader rotation out of high-multiple growth and housing-sensitive equities.
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.