Stocks Climb Despite Weak Jobs Data; Nasdaq Hits Record as Tech Leads
MarketsFN Team
Stocks Climb Despite Weak Jobs Data; Nasdaq Hits Record as Tech Leads
U.S. equities advanced Friday as investors shrugged off a disappointing September jobs report, with the Nasdaq 100 surging 1.00% to a record intraday high led by tech giants. The S&P 500 gained 0.73% despite labor data showing just 29,000 jobs added and unemployment rising to 4.2%.
🇺🇸 US Session Overview
Tech outperformed as the Nasdaq 100 closed at 30,807.93, buoyed by semiconductor stocks amid reports of strong AI chip demand. The S&P 500 rose to 7,722.72 with energy stocks lagging despite Brent crude topping $102. Small caps rallied with the Russell 2000 up 0.94%, while the Dow gained 0.49% to 51,176.96 as industrials benefited from Boeing's FAA clearance on 737 Max software.
📅 Economic Calendar Highlights
September's labor data disappointed across multiple metrics: Nonfarm Payrolls added just 29K vs 89K expected, while hourly earnings growth slowed to 0.1% MoM. The unemployment rate rose to 4.2%, though participation improved to 61.8%. Eurozone inflation accelerated to 3.8% YoY, pressuring the ECB. CFTC data showed growing short positions in EUR (-63.3K contracts) and GBP (-91.1K).
💱 FX & Commodities
The Dollar Index gained as EUR/USD fell 0.64% to 1.1255 after hot Eurozone CPI. WTI crude dropped 1.52% to $91.46 despite G7 plans to release diesel reserves, while Brent rose 0.47% to $102.79. Gold slipped 0.77% to $4,169.80 as Treasury yields held firm. Cryptos declined with Bitcoin down 0.58% at $84,358.88 amid tax enforcement headlines.
Markets now look to Monday's ISM Services PMI as the next catalyst, with Asian markets set to react to tonight's U.S. jobs surprise. Energy traders will monitor whether G7 fuel releases ease supply constraints, while tech momentum may face a test after Nasdaq's record run.
🇺🇸 US Indices — Session Close
| Index | Price | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | 7,722.72 | ▲ +56.27 | ▲ +0.73% |
| Nasdaq 100 | 30,807.93 | ▲ +306.37 | ▲ +1.00% |
| Dow Jones | 51,176.96 | ▲ +250.40 | ▲ +0.49% |
| Russell 2000 | 2,832.90 | ▲ +26.27 | ▲ +0.94% |
💱 FX Majors
| Pair | Rate | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | 1.1255 | ▼ -0.64% |
| GBP/USD | 1.3243 | ▼ -0.16% |
| USD/JPY | 157.87 | ▲ +0.20% |
| AUD/USD | 0.6959 | ▲ +0.19% |
| USD/CHF | 0.8287 | ▼ -0.83% |
🛢️ Commodities & Crypto
| Asset | Price (USD) | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| Gold (XAU/USD) | 4,169.80 | ▼ -0.77% |
| Silver (XAG/USD) | 60.79 | ▲ +0.12% |
| Crude Oil (WTI) | 91.46 | ▼ -1.52% |
| Brent Oil | 102.79 | ▲ +0.47% |
| Natural Gas | 3.04 | ▲ +2.49% |
| Bitcoin | 84,358.88 | ▼ -0.58% |
| Ethereum | 2,667.54 | ▼ -1.40% |
📅 Economic Calendar
All times in UTC — Actual highlighted where available
| Time | Currency | Event | Imp. | Actual | Forecast | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | EUR | CPI (YoY) (Sep) | 🔴🔴🔴 | 3.8% | 3.7% | 3.2% |
| 12:30 | USD | Average Hourly Earnings (MoM) (Sep) | 🔴🔴🔴 | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 12:30 | USD | Nonfarm Payrolls (Sep) | 🔴🔴🔴 | 29K | 89K | 133K |
| 12:30 | USD | Unemployment Rate (Sep) | 🔴🔴🔴 | 4.2% | 4.1% | 4.1% |
| 09:00 | EUR | Core CPI (YoY) (Sep) | 🟡🟡 | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.4% |
| 09:00 | EUR | CPI (MoM) (Sep) | 🟡🟡 | 0.6% | 0.4% | |
| 12:30 | USD | Average Hourly Earnings (YoY) (YoY) (Sep) | 🟡🟡 | 3.0% | 3.2% | 3.1% |
| 12:30 | USD | Participation Rate (Sep) | 🟡🟡 | 61.8% | 61.6% | |
| 12:30 | USD | Private Nonfarm Payrolls (Sep) | 🟡🟡 | 46K | 85K | 89K |
| 12:30 | USD | U6 Unemployment Rate (Sep) | 🟡🟡 | 7.6% | 7.7% | |
| 14:00 | USD | Factory Orders (MoM) (Aug) | 🟡🟡 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| 17:00 | USD | U.S. Baker Hughes Oil Rig Count | 🟡🟡 | 456 | 455 | |
| 17:00 | USD | U.S. Baker Hughes Total Rig Count | 🟡🟡 | 598 | 599 | |
| 19:30 | GBP | CFTC GBP speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | -91.1K | -82.6K | |
| 19:30 | USD | CFTC Crude Oil speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | 109.5K | 141.1K | |
| 19:30 | USD | CFTC Gold speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | 218.6K | 225.9K | |
| 19:30 | USD | CFTC Nasdaq 100 speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | 51.2K | 56.1K | |
| 19:30 | USD | CFTC S&P 500 speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | -142.5K | -133.2K | |
| 19:30 | AUD | CFTC AUD speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | -63.2K | -46.8K | |
| 19:30 | BRL | CFTC BRL speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | 60.5K | 54.2K | |
| 19:30 | JPY | CFTC JPY speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | 55.4K | 72.0K | |
| 19:30 | EUR | CFTC EUR speculative net positions | 🟡🟡 | -63.3K | -52.3K | |
| 12:15 | EUR | German Buba Vice President Buch Speaks | 🟡🟡 | — | ||
| 19:35 | EUR | German Buba President Nagel Speaks | 🟡🟡 | — |
Report published: October 02, 2026 — 22:20 CET
Disclaimer
The content on MarketsFN.com is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice, investment recommendations, or trading guidance. All investments involve risks, and past performance does not guarantee future results. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and should consult a qualified financial adviser before acting. MarketsFN.com and its authors are not liable for any losses arising from your use of this information.
