The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) was up 253.12 (0.48%) points today, reaching a level of 53,020.00, while Dow Futures (YM=F) also gained 258.00 (0.49%) to hit 53,086.00. The primary narrative driving the market on this Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026, is a stronger-than-expected ISM Manufacturing PMI report, which signaled robust industrial expansion and eased immediate recessionary fears. This economic data provided a significant tailwind for cyclical sectors, particularly industrials and healthcare, offsetting broader tech volatility.
Leading the blue-chip index, 3M (MMM) was up 3.70% to $148.62 following a positive analyst upgrade regarding its lean manufacturing pivot. Tech giant Nvidia (NVDA) was up 1.77% at $225.01, benefiting from continued high-performance computing demand. Defensive heavyweights also showed strength, as Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) was up 1.61% at $227.63 and Cisco Systems (CSCO) was up 1.33% at $100.48.
Conversely, some Dow components faced selling pressure as investors rotated out of high-valuation software and retail. IBM (IBM) was down 2.42% at $213.40, leading the laggards after a cautious outlook on enterprise cloud spending. Home improvement retailer Home Depot (HD) was down 2.14% at $303.85 amid rising mortgage rate concerns, while Salesforce (CRM) was down 1.64% at $168.45. Despite these losses, the broader index remained firmly in positive territory due to the strength of its industrial base.
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.